Clockwork bird
by Kit Brightside
Summary: 'Beware treehorns' the shabby little sign warned. It didn't say what a treehorn was, what it looked like, or even why you should avoid them, just to beware. Maybe that knowledge would have saved lives, or at least helped prevent the tragedy that would befall a certain blue ninja. Go ninja, go and run as far as you can from the forest, lest the beast within clip your wings.
1. Chapter 1

Chapter One

"I'll catch up later..." Jay panted, waving off the others as he slid down to rest on the curved rock at the top of the cliff.

They'd been chasing that falcon for what seemed like miles, pushing the limits of their endurance. Whenever Zane saw that falcon there was something big that it would lead him too, like their ship and home, the Bounty. This time, when the other three saw it, they thought 'I want to be there to make that discovery, too.' Of course, that had been at the start of their journey. Now they were starting to fall behind one by one while Zane just kept on going as if it were nothing.

It stung his pride a bit to be the first to give in to the exhaustion, but he told himself that he'd just have to hurry and catch up so that he didn't miss any of the action.

He was the fastest of the four, after all, it wouldn't be hard.

When he'd felt rested enough, he climbed to his feet and looked out into the distance, where his friends had left only footprints to indicate where they'd gone.

Taking a deep breath, he gets into position and then takes off like a bolt of lightning, running full tilt.

There was something exhilarating about running as fast as he could. It was like he was flying, wind whipping his hair around his face, heart pounding in time with his feet... It was like nothing could stop him. He didn't often get to feel this, the Bounty was too small to really run on and during missions he always made sure to stick close to his friends, as well as pace himself so he'd have the energy to fight.

This was a rare chance for him, so he enjoyed it while he could.

When Cole came into view he slowed down, allowed himself to catch his breath before he'd reached the other ninja, and waited for him to get up before they set off at a much more reasonable pace.

A pace that, after the rush of before, made it feel like he was dragging his feet.

He'd tried to strike up a conversation with the other ninja, but Cole could barely get out two words before needing to take a breath, so Jay gave up after it became apparent that, even if he could hold the conversation on his own, the other wasn't exactly interested.

They stopped for a few seconds when they'd reached Kai, who had told them that Zane had gone further into the snowy forest so as not to lose the falcon.

They'd found him inside a literal tree house that stretched down into the ground.

"Zane?" Kai called out as they entered.

" _Wow_ , would you look at this place!" Jay couldn't help but say as they descended the spiraling steps. The amount of work that must have gone into building this place was impressive, managing to mimic the trees around it on the outside while appearing to be patched together metal, all welded together on the inside, the place spreading out to the size of a small house underground... if his dad could see this, he knew the man would want to figure out its secrets.

And then there was their friend, sitting on the floor with his head in his hands, derailing Jay's thoughts. "Zane, what's wrong?"

They all rushed to his side, worried that something had happened.

"Are you hurt?" Jay asked, remembering the fallen machine they'd come across just outside.

"Are you ok?" Cole asked a split second after.

Zane let out a tiny sigh, looked over to the table near him, and took one of the blueprints. He stood and looked it over once before he let it flutter to the ground and opened his chest. The other three let out yells of shock, looking horrified before what they were seeing actually registered.

Metal.

"You're a _robot_?!" Kai asked, his shock speaking for him.

"All this time... And I never knew." Zane said, a sad note to his voice.

"That explains why you're always acting so weird, right?" Jay asks with a nervous laugh, trying to lighten the mood a bit and failing.

"The reason I never had a sense of humor was because my funny switch wasn't on." Zane explains, flipping a switch before closing his chest.

Music starts to play and he begins to dance and sing.

After his short number is over, Jay bursts out laughing while the other two just looked confused. Zane turns around to flip the switch back off before facing the others, sighing and sliding back down to sit on the floor again.

"Uh, it just makes you more special." Cole struggles to reassure his friend despite his own trouble with the sudden revelation. "You're still the same Zane just, uh, more gears."

"No matter what you're made of, you're still our brother." Kai adds, voice calm, as he'd gotten ahold of his disbelief.

"Really?" Zane looks up at them, surprised by their easy acceptance.

"In fact," Cole goes on, sounding a lot surer of his words after Kai had spoken up. "I bet it makes you an even better ninja."

"Yeah!" Jay suddenly speaks up, still sounding a bit nervous and kind of twitchy. "And how cool is it that I can honestly say that my brother is a nindroid."

It was the best he could think of at the moment; wouldn't it be bad to start telling him the kind of genius it would've taken to not only make a robot that could pass as a human so well that even _he_ didn't know, let alone the kind of programming that could create an A.I. that advanced? But he had to say something to reassure his friend that he'd accepted him, just like the others.

"A nindroid?" Zane gives the blue ninja a puzzled look at the term.

"Now, come on." Cole cuts in, putting a hand on the white ninja's shoulder. "Pythor is still out there looking for the first fang blade and we need you."

While the black and red ninja were worried that Jay not so subtly implying that Zane wasn't human was going to upset the blond, Cole had done a less than stellar job changing the subject.

Zane steps back and shakes his head.

"You'll have to go on without me." He turns away from the others, looking instead at the blueprints on the table. "I just don't feel right..."

Without it needing to be said, the three all agree to leave the nindroid alone and head back outside.

"We just have to give him time." Kai says, speaking as if he was sure, yet looking for confirmation. "I'm not sure how I would feel if I was told I was a robot."

"You mean a nindroid." Jay corrects the red ninja, already appearing to have gotten over it.

"Yeah, _whatever_." Kai says with a shrug, giving the blue ninja an odd look.

"How the heck do we get out of this place?" Cole asks, gesturing to the expanse of trees and snow around them. Their footprints were gone, buried by the light snowfall already, so they'd have to guess as to which direction they had come from. "What's that?"

They pause for a moment, listening to the thumping that seemed to be getting closer.

"Cute, tiny birds?" Jay suggests hopefully, knowing that whatever made that sound had to be _much,_ _ **much**_ bigger.

They all pulled their hoods on and began to look for the threat.

The seconds ticked on and for a moment Jay wondered if they'd been hearing things, and was about to say as much until one of the trees lifted up off the ground and moved.

"Did you _see_ that?!" Cole asked the other two, disbelief clear in both his eyes and tone.

" _I didn't see anything_!" Jay quickly denied, as if that would make them disappear.

"I saw it too." Kai confirmed the others' fear. "Treehorns!"

A huge group of them seemed to appear, surrounding the ninja and blocking any chance of escape. They pull out their weapons, and Kai glances at the fallen machine nearby, suddenly realizing something.

" _Aw great_ , I think that thing was supposed to protect this place." He groans. "Guys, it's up to us."

The three ninja sprang into action, managing to knock down a few at first, but they were quickly outnumbered and overpowered.

They had barely rested after the long journey, too...

Jay could almost hear Sensei Wu admonishing him for wasting so much energy earlier; the creatures were slow moving and if he could've used his full speed, he'd _at least_ be able to draw their attention while Cole and Kai attacked.

As it was, they were all struggling to stay on their feet, let alone retaliate. Kai was trying to use his fire to try and ward them off, and even Cole was struggling under the weight of their attacks. But they were doing alright, fully focused on their own battles, holding up well enough... So it was a mistake for Jay to spare even a second on making sure they were alright.

It had only been a glance in their direction, not even a split second, and then he'd felt one of those trunk sized limbs slam into his side. Pain shot down his arm, his grip went slack and his weapon flew off into the snow and out of his reach.

Gritting his teeth, he struggled to stand, clutching his shoulder in a vain attempt to stop the pain. He had to get his weapon, he was defenseless without it.

With a burst of adrenaline he darted towards where he'd seen it fall, quickly kneeling down to grab it, only to feel the full force of one of the creatures stepping on his leg. Something snapped with an audible _crack_ , and he was about to scream from the pain when another treehorn hit his face, causing him to blackout momentarily.

It was the pain that brought him back and it didn't take long for his blurry vision to make out the red staining the snow. He felt sick, his stomach twisted in knots and fear making his heart race. He could see the blurry figure of another treehorn approaching him and he tried to scramble back with his good arm and leg, only for one to his side, out of sight, to reach out and pin his good leg.

Another _crack_ and then he felt the force of the other treehorn stomping on his chest, forcing the air out of his lungs as a pitiful wheeze. It stomped on his chest twice more and then it had stopped, the pressure on his leg let up... They were leaving.

Breathing was hard, each breath in hurt, his vision was starting to go dark.

Just before he lost consciousness, a thought crossed his mind.

'Sorry Mom, Dad... I don't think I'll be able to visit anymore.'

 _fin_


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter two

Zane had left the tree house, his memories back and with a new resolve.

 _'I made you to protect those who can't protect themselves.'_

He knew his past, who he was, and what he was meant to do.

His friends were on the ground, surrounded by treehorns. Without delay, he sprang into action, turning into a spinning tornado of ice and snow.

"Ninja _go_!"

Like a pinball he bounced off their legs, knocking them over and giving his friends enough time to get back up on their feet and regroup. It was worrying that the chattiest ninja of the group hadn't joined them, but they didn't have time to look for him, as the treehorns were coming close to attack once more.

With Zane's help, the fight slowly turned in their favor, and the treehorns appeared to be retreating.

Then, the queen showed up and let out a vicious roar. For a second the red and black ninja were worried, the queen was bigger than the others, how could they fight it along with the others?

Then Zane started to glow, slowly floating up until he was even with the queen's head.

"I won't let you hurt my friends!" He yelled, blasting the queen with a beam of ice, freezing her solid.

The treehorns finally fled, and the black and red ninja ran up to the nindroid with huge smiles on their faces.

"That was amazing!" Kai excitedly told the blond.

"I've never seen anything like it!" Cole agreed.

Zane smiled back at first, caught up in the excitement, but when a third voice didn't speak up, he frowned.

It didn't take long for the other two to realize why he was scanning the surrounding area, Jay always had something to add to a conversation, even if it was only a short remark, so it was odd not hearing him comment on something so big.

It was obvious that something was wrong, even from a distance, as they could see that he wasn't moving and the red stood out like a beacon against the white snow. They all hurried to their friend's side, only to freeze in horror at the sight of him. The thing that first caught their eye was the source of the blood, his right arm and the bone sticking out of it, what they could see of his face was swollen and already bruising, and his right leg was bent at an odd angle.

"We..." Cole's voice faltered. "We need to stop the bleeding."

"I-, what do we-, _how_?!" Kai asked, panicked.

"There should be supplies we can use in my old house." Zane weakly suggested. "I will go retrieve them."

"We'll also need something to support his b-" Cole took a deep breath, trying to keep his voice steady. "We'll need a few sturdy branches to make splints."

"I'll go find some." Kai said before stumbling into the woods.

Zane rushed back out, clutching a first aid kit close and kneeled down next to Cole.

"Alright..." Cole took another steadying breath. "Zane, I'm going to try setting his arm."

"What?" He gave the dark haired ninja an incredulous look. "Are you sure that is a good idea?"

"I am." He assured the other. "Just have the bandages ready when I do."

The blond just opened the box and got out the bandages in response.

"On three..." Cole mumbled, unsure of who he was exactly talking to, Zane, Jay, or himself. "One... Two... Three!"

Before he could hesitate, he gave the arm a sharp tug, the bone sliding back into skin and hopefully realigning. Cole shifted back to give Zane enough room to bandage up the wound, and let out a shaky sigh.

He had to stay calm, to keep the others from panicking, and to keep himself grounded so he could help Jay.

 _'Cole, nothing is more tragic than a promising career being cut short by something preventable.'_

His father had taught him a bit about broken bones, and though he wished he had paid closer attention to his words, he could only be thankful that he knew what little he did.

"There weren't any decent ones on the ground," Kai explains as he hurries over, arms full of sticks with smoldering ends. "So I had to cut them down."

The black ninja takes two of the sticks and the bandages from Zane and splints Jay's arm, then moves down to his leg and sets it, too, with a quick tug.

There's a loud clatter as Kai drops the sticks, stumbles away and starts to heave, using a tree to keep himself upright. Cole ignores the event, focusing instead on applying the splint, but Zane can't help but cast a worrying glance at the fire ninja.

"Ok..." Cole sighs, sounding a bit horse. "We need to get him to a hospital now."

"O-one of us... Will have to... Carry him." Kai pants out, still leaning against the tree.

"I'll carry him." Zane offers immediately. The other two don't argue, he was likely the only one who had the strength left for it.

Kai allowed himself one final, deep breath and then pushed away from the tree and made his way over to help them.

It took a bit of maneuvering, but they managed to get him onto Zane's back. It was a little awkward thanks to the splints, but he could manage it. Night fell not long after they started walking, the temperature dropping along with the sun. They were all shivering by the time they reached the first obstacle, a fissure in the ground with a fallen tree as the only bridge to cross it.

"I am not sure it'd be a good idea to try crossing it while carrying Jay." Zane had said what they were all thinking. "We'll have to go around it."

"Guys." Kai clenched his fists, a determined look in his eyes. "I'm going to run ahead and get the others."

If they could get the Bounty to pick them up, then they could get Jay to a hospital that much faster.

After getting two nods from his friends, who both looked just as determined, he went across the tree and started running.

When he was younger, when his father was still alive, his sister had come down with a terrible fever. He hadn't been worried until he'd overheard some adults talking about 'that poor, sick boy' who had recently passed away, and had come home crying about how he didn't want his sister to die.

 _'It's not that kind of sickness, Kai.'_

It had taken his father an hour to calm him down and explain things, but after that he was always anxious when either of them got sick.

This felt ten times worse than that.

He was scared, but instead of breaking down and crying like he had back then, he let his fear fuel him, to keep him running past the point of exhaustion. He wasn't going to lose another family member, he would do everything in his power to prevent it.

 _fin_


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter three

The boys hadn't come back the night before. At the time, Nya had just written it off as nothing, they sometimes got sidetracked or held up, but now that it was morning she was starting to worry... Perhaps the samurai should go check up on them?

Nya was startled from her thoughts by a frantic banging on her door.

She hurried to open it, certain that it was one of the ninja, and was both relieved and worried when she saw her brother looking pale and haggard.

"Kai, what's wro-"

"Jay's hurt!" He interrupts, grabbing her wrist and dragging her to the control room. "We have to go get them!"

Her stomach dropped at his words.

"What happened?"

"I'll explain later; we have to hurry!"

She didn't try to press him for anymore answers, the way Kai was acting meant something must be seriously wrong, and it would only slow them down.

The air was heavy while they traveled, the two siblings both watching the monitor intently for any sign of their friends. The large desert and its glittering, golden sand flew by under them, mile after mile until Nya began to wonder just how far they'd gone, but then the cliff came into sight, along with the black and white figures waving at them. Finding them was a relief, she thought, even as she realized they looked just as bad as her brother did.

Before she'd finished pulling the Bounty up alongside the cliff, Kai had run out into the deck to help them aboard. She'd hurried after him, meeting them in the hall and felt her heart stop at the sight. Jay was deathly pale, fresh blood was dripping down his lips and-, and Cole was gripping her arm and dragging her back to the control room, saying something about hospitals and trouble breathing...

She had to get them to a hospital.

From then on everything was surreal for her, like she was watching herself and her surroundings instead of actually doing it; piloting the ship, bringing Jay in, the doctors rushing him into surgery, seeing the three ninja sitting in the hard plastic chairs, asking to use the phone...

"Hello?" The sound of Edna's voice broke her out of that odd space, bringing reality crashing down onto her once more, and for a moment she didn't know what to say. " _Hello_? Is anyone there?"

"Uh, yes!" She hurried to say before the woman hung up. "It's Nya-"

"Oh! Nya, dear, how lovely it is to hear from you! Did you hear that, Ed? Nya called!" The voice of the man could be heard in the background but she couldn't make out the words. "Ok, ok, I'll be sure to ask! How are you, dear? Is everything going well?"

It was obvious the question had another meaning from the way the woman asked, but Nya felt like she'd been dunked in ice water.

"Actually, I was calling about Jay." She says carefully, trying to figure out the right words.

"Oh? What do you want to know about him? I could tell you about the time he-"

"There's been an accident." The words feel hollow, and the woman on the other end of the line fell silent, so she continues. "He had to be admitted to the hospital, he's in surgery right now..."

" _Surgery_? What happened? Where are you?"

She gives them the address and listens to their banter, only catching a few words before Ed picks the phone up and says.

"We'll be there as soon as possible!"

She only lets the dial tone ring twice before she hangs up.

How had things taken such a turn for the worst so quickly? Would this have happened if she'd just checked on them when they didn't show up for dinner?

That thought caused a spike of guilt that made her wince.

They'd always seemed like a perfect team, easily bouncing back from any fall, watching each other's backs... She'd never worried about her brother's safety when they were together. In fact, she'd been jealous of her brother. He got to go save the world while she was expected to just stay at home and mind the ship.

The Samurai was her way of breaking into that world, to show them what she was capable of, and, if she were honest with herself, as a way to show them up.

It seemed foolish now; they weren't out there playing hero, they were risking their lives... And things had gone horribly wrong.

One glance at the three ninja, Kai fast asleep, Zane looking lost in thought, and Cole struggling to stay awake while watching the clock, and she knew that she couldn't ask them what happened.

Not right now, anyway.

She'd go to the cafeteria and pick up some food for them, let them get a full nights rest, and then, maybe she'd ask... And in turn, she'd tell them her secret.

She was going to help those boys from now on, whether they wanted it or not.

 _fin_


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter four

"Care to dance?" A young girl asks him, offering her hand. She was pale, petite, and had dark hair that framed her face. She had donned a white mask for the masquerade, and wore a black dress with a white ribbon lacing up the front, and delicate lace trimming the bottom of the skirt and the ends of the sleeves. There was an air about her that commanded respect, a confidence that spoke of power.

"I'm sorry." Jay told her bashfully. "I don't actually know how to dance."

"It alright," she assured him, grabbing his hand and pulling him out onto the ballroom floor with surprising strength. "Just follow my lead."

Despite his reluctance, she effortlessly guided them through the listless dancers, and began to dance to the slow, almost wailing music. He felt out of place compared to the faded and moth bitten clothing that those around him wore, his slacks, mask, and vest a striking blue amongst the crowd.

"How do you like my ball?" She suddenly asks after a long silence.

"It's, uh, nice." He says, doing his best to give her a convincing smile.

"It's dead." She tells him plainly, offering a wry smile of her own.

"Yeah..." He admits.

They fall into silence, the droning music seeming to fill the space around them, as they danced.

"You should go." She finally says.

"What?" His brows furrow in confusion.

"I'm sure your friends and family are waiting for you." She tells him, laying a hand over his heart. "There's no reason to stay, you have all of eternity to dance here, after all..."

"I don't understand; what are you talking about?"

The music got fainter and the ballroom began to fade into blackness, but her final words rang clear.

"You aren't dead yet..."

-

Even with his eyes closed, the lights were too bright. His head felt like it was stuffed full of a million, tiny needles all stabbing his brain over and over...

"Son?"

He forces his eyes open against the pain, squinting up at his parents. There were tears in their eyes, their usual smiles and playful banter was gone, leaving a heavy silence in its wake.

"Mom... Dad..." Jay cringed at how hoarse he sounded. "Where are we?"

"You're in a hospital, Honey." His mother tells him tearfully, voice quivering just the tiniest bit.

He remembers the attack, the pain, and the fear... it sends a shiver down his spine, and a chill over his skin. He pushes those thoughts away.

"Where- _what_ happened to the others?" He forces himself to ask, worried by their absence.

"They're fine." His dad says, managing to put on a smile though it didn't reach his eyes. "They had some business to attend to, but they'll be back soon."

So his friends were alright... He was relieved about that, but the way his parents were acting was strange. He moved to sit up, only for his father to put an insistent hand on his shoulder and say.

"You should try and get some more rest."

Though he was tired, he didn't want to go back to sleep just yet.

He moved to run a hand through his hair only to pause when his fingers brushed gauze. Lightly he ran his fingers over the bandage covering his eye, an unsettling feeling beginning to set in, his senses heightening and picking up the feeling of fabric dragging over bandage.

His breathing started to pick up as he looked down, the blankets looked off, didn't fall right, and he slowly reached with a shaky hand to pull it back.

Everything froze for a moment, his mind felt like it had shut down, unable to process what he was seeing.

 _Gone_... His legs and right arm were gone...

"Jay, Honey, you need to calm down." His mother tried to calm her panicking son, but her voice didn't reach him.

He was hyperventilating, his mind rejecting what it's every sense told it was real. Spots began to fill his vision and his chest was beginning to hurt.

A strong shake sends him reeling, he meets his father's stern gaze, feeling lightheaded and short of breath.

"It'll be okay." His father says in a tone that allows no arguments, and Jay feels like he's a little kid again, demanding to know why he couldn't use the blow torch. And then he's struggling to breathe between the sobs, clinging to his father's shirt, his mother running her fingers through his hair in silent comfort.

Eventually he calms down, does his best to wipe away the tears as his parents get the doctor, who explains everything that happened to him.

While repairing a punctured lung, they'd realized that his heart was dying and that he'd need a transplant. None of the donors were a match, though, so they'd given him an artificial heart.

"Officially you don't have a heartbeat anymore." The doctor told him. "It works by creating a continuous flow of blood."

Any other time he'd be thinking about how it worked, about its design and how it could be improved, but he could only feel unsettled by the news.

His left leg from the knee down and his entire right leg had to be amputated because the damage had been too severe and they weren't going to recover, and leaving them would have put him at risk. There had been a day or two of peace, then the swelling of his face had gone down enough to open both his eyes and they realized that his left eye had been ruptured.

"Unfortunately, with that kind of injury, vision loss is extremely likely even when treated immediately..."

And then the wound on his right arm had gotten infected and had to be amputated as well.

It was a lot to take in, it was overwhelming and he didn't know where to start. He asked to be left alone for a bit so he could sort through all the information in his head without interruption. His parents were obviously worried, especially after his previous breakdown, but they didn't argue or question his request.

"Just remember," his mother paused in the doorway. "That we're all here for you."

 _fin_


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter five

Ever since he was little, Jay had wanted to be an inventor. He'd dream up creations that, looking back on it now, had been laughably implausible; like a mind reader or a machine that could change the color of your clothes at will... Each time his dad would do his best to help him make it a reality, never once telling him that it couldn't be done.

They'd had a lot of failures, more so then successes, but he had always felt like he'd learned something that he could apply to his next creation, or how to make the current design better. Inventing was his life... Until he met Sensei Wu.

He'd been testing one of his inventions at the time, a glider, and had decided that the only way to know for certain if it worked or not was to use it. He'd climbed to the top of a tall building, strapped it on, and then jumped. The controls had locked up and he'd been lucky enough to crash land on a nearby building, where he'd found the old man sitting and drinking his signature tea.

He'd remembered the strange conversation, the man telling him that he was the ninja of lightning.

 _'Me? A ninja?'_ He had asked in disbelief _. 'Are you sure you don't have the wrong guy?'_

After that it had felt like it was one whirlwind event after another, he'd never really had time to stop and think about it... But now, unable to sleep, he had all the time in the world to think it over.

Being a ninja had become as much a part of him as inventing had been, and now, because of this-... Because of the accident he couldn't even write his own name.

It had felt like someone had stabbed a knife into his heart when he'd realized, and then he'd laughed bitterly when he'd remembered that he didn't have a heart to stab anymore. The laughter dissolved into tears, and after what felt like hours he'd fallen into a fitful sleep, memories of that night haunting his dreams.

That morning, after struggling to eat breakfast, the doctor had talked to him and his parents about wheelchairs and what options they had.

"-you'd probably be better off with an electric wheelchair." The doctor's words were careful, but to the point.

Jay felt a bit numb as he nodded, the words washing over him without fully registering.

"Why don't you think about it for now; you can always decide later." The doctor said as a way of excusing himself and left.

"Don't worry about the price, honey." His mother assured him with a pat on the hand. "We'll get you whichever one you want."

"Or we could make one." His dad offered.

"Right..." He tried to give them an appreciative smile, but it faltered almost instantly.

"Excuse me," a nurse calls from the doorway. "You have some more visitors. Would you like to see them?"

"Y-yeah!" He says before he can stop to think about it, knowing that it must be the other ninja.

Anxiety grips him at the thought of seeing them now. What would they think? What would he say? He must look terrible...

"Jay!" Kai calls out as soon as he sees the blue ninja awake.

He doesn't have any more time to think about it as they all crowd into the room.

"We'll give you some time alone." His mother says, pulling her husband out of the room.

Kai claims one of the two chairs pulled up to his bedside while Cole takes the other, leaving both Zane and Nya to stand. There's a brief silence in which no one speaks, all uncertain of what to say.

" _So_..." Jay says slowly. "I heard something came up."

"Y-yeah, uh, there were some Serpentine sightings at the mega monster amusement park." Kai hesitantly explains.

When he doesn't elaborate, Jay asks.

"So what happened?"

"We were too late." Nya says when it became apparent that the others won't. "By the time we got there they'd already found the fang blade and left."

"Oh..." Jay couldn't help the guilt that that brings up. Would they have gotten it if they hadn't been worrying about him?

" _Anyway_ ," Cole says with determination. "That isn't important."

"Right." Zane agrees. "The most important thing right now is making sure you're alright."

"How are you feeling, anyway?" Cole asks the question that Makes Jay wonder if it's possible to survive with ice in your veins.

"I'm-" fine? No, he was so, _so_ far from fine that it wasn't even funny. "I-I've been better..."

There was something akin to disappointment, a kind of sorrow in their eyes that he can't stand to see and finds himself staring at the bed, hand clenched in the sheets. The silence dragged on, the three ninja racking their brains for any way they could fix things, something they could say or do.

Nya, mind made up, pulled a blueprint out, quickly unfolded it and set it on Jay's lap. She had hoped the circumstances would be a bit better, but if they needed a distraction, well, what better one then this?

"This... Is for the Samurai's suit." Jay said, gingerly picking up the page, his confusion only mounting as he studied it. "How...?"

"I'm the Samurai." She said, a little worried by the fact that he hadn't looked up from the blueprint yet.

"This must have taken a lot of time to build..." He muttered aloud.

"It did." She said with a hopeful smile. "It took some time getting used to the controls, too, even though I made it."

"It's impressive." He finally looked up and gave her a half smile, more a small quirk of the lips than anything.

"Thanks." She said, relieved by his response. "From now on I'm going to help fight the Serpentine."

The words were innocuous, but he felt that ache in his chest again, like a sting of betrayal. It was foolish, he knew, even if Nya was helping them that didn't mean she was replacing him... But wasn't she? He wouldn't be able to fight, the world needed to be saved, and there she was, willing and able to fight. Maybe she would even be a better blue ninja.

"Jay?"

There was a sound of crinkling paper, and he realized that he'd been gripping the blueprint hard enough to make his knuckles go white. He quickly let it go, tried to smooth out the crinkles that he'd left, and bitterly said.

"You should probably go."

"What?" Kai asked in disbelief. "Why?"

"You still need to find the fang blades-"

"The fang blades? Jay, we can search for them without having to leave."

"No, you _can't_." He said bluntly. "They already have one fang blade because you didn't get there in time."

"That doesn't matter, you're our friend and we'll be here for you no matter how long it takes you to get better!" Kai stood from his chair, accidentally knocking it over in the process.

"Kai, you should try to calm down-" Zane tried to intervene.

"Better?!" Jay questioned, sounding near hysterical, and pulled back the blanket to show them the full extent of his injuries. "Does it look like I'll _get_ any _better?!"_

"Y-you..." Kai was shaking with anger and anxiety, hands clenched and unable to form an answer.

Zane put a hand on the red ninja's shoulder and calmly said.

"I think we should give him some space."

"Fine..." Kai huffed. "Fine, but we're _not_ leaving."

The others solemnly followed after Kai, leaving Jay alone once more.

Jay fisted a hand in his hair, trying to quell the nearly crushing guilt over what he'd said along with everything else that was weighing on him. He could feel his life crumbling down around him, like he'd gotten stuck in quicksand and no matter what he did he just kept sinking further and further... Would it be easier to just give in?

He shivered, pulling the blanket close in an attempt to regain some of the warmth still clinging to it, and tried to put the memory of a slow, almost wailing song out of his mind.

 _fin_


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter six

Zane slipped away from the others silently, they all needed some space right now, and there were some things he had to do. Once he was outside of the hospital he summoned his vehicle and took off.

He had plenty of time to think while he drove, of everything that had happened, of the bloodstain that, even after fifty washes, just wouldn't leave the white fabric of his gi... Of how he should have gotten there sooner, should have been standing alongside his brothers while they fought.

His concentration broken, his bike disappears out from under him and sends him tumbling over the sand. It takes a few seconds for him to regain his bearings, stand up, and keep going on foot. He wasn't sure if he'd be able to concentrate right now.

The forest looks the same as it had when he'd first seen it, a forest of dead trees and snow, but this time he regarded the sign at its start more seriously. How many had been attacked by treehorns, he wondered, and just how many had lost their lives to the beasts?

The thought was worrying, even if the forest was out of the way.

Pushing the thought to the back of his mind, he stepped further in and headed towards his old home once more. Fresh snow covered the area, the robot he had defeated was partially hidden under the white fluff, and there was no sign of their fight against the treehorns.

What happened to the queen he froze? Had she thawed and continued on as if nothing had happened, or had something come along and moved her? It was worrying, not knowing, and he made sure to keep an eye out for any sign of the creatures while he searched the area.

The sky was beginning to darken by the time he found the golden nunchucks buried under the snow and slipped it into his belt. Jay would need it if he- _when_ he rejoined them...

He stepped into the treehouse, carefully closing the door behind him, and descended the stairs. There was the table again, the blue prints for the falcon sitting right where he'd left it. He carefully folded it up and slipped it into his pocket. Hopefully this would help cheer him up; he'd seemed happier when he was looking over the samurai suit's blue prints.

He turned to leave, only to pause when another blue print caught his gaze. His own blue print. Shame filled him as he remembered sending his friends away after the revelation.

After careful consideration, he picked it up and folded it so that he could stash it with the other blue print in his pocket.

With what he'd come to get in tow, Zane hurried back.

It was nearing four A.M. When he'd finally climbed into his bed and went to sleep, and he still felt dead tired when he woke up at six that morning, but he didn't go back to sleep, instead hurrying to the hospital. He hadn't bothered to put anything away when he'd come back, and he'd fallen asleep in his full gear, so he only had to put Jay's nunchucks and his shurikins in the case before leaving.

Zane didn't think that seeing them would help Jay's mood any.

The nurse at the desk greeted him with a practiced smile and had told him he was a bit early, by about an hour, and he told her he'd wait. A half hour later, one of the nurses had taken pity on him and let him in, saying that his friend would need all the support they could give him.

Zane had agreed and thanked the kind nurse.

Jay was pushing the food around on his plate when Zane walked in, and he didn't look up, only muttered.

"I'm not that hungry..."

"That's too bad," Zane said as he grabbed one of the chairs that had been pushed against the wall. "Without the proper nutrients it'll take much longer for you to heal."

Jay dropped the plastic fork as if he'd been burned, looking startled at the ice ninja's sudden appearance.

"Z-Zane, I, uh, didn't know you made a habit out of breaking into hospitals..." He'd laughed nervously, glancing away and gripping the sheets anxiously.

"The nurses allowed me in early." He simply said, placing the chair down and sitting on it.

Jay didn't answer at first, the silence only lasting a few seconds, but Zane could see him run through several thoughts in rapid succession.

"Ah... Is that so?" He settled on.

Quite often Zane found himself observing his friends while they interacted, studying their subtle nuances and habits, and had learned quite a bit.

If you asked any of the others, they might tell you that Jay was the most open person in their group, but Zane disagreed. Kai was the most open when it came to his thoughts and feelings, almost never trying to hide them, after him was Cole, who, although the he might not try to make them apparent, rarely ever tried to hide or lie about his feelings, and then there was Jay...

Jay had a fast mind, and Zane had seen him stop himself from saying something in favor of something else on more than one occasion, playing it off as if he'd just blurted out the first thing he thought. He wasn't certain if it was mostly Jay stopping himself from saying something important or him just trying not to babble on endlessly about tech, and it was the uncertainty of which it was that made Zane believe Jay was the most closed off.

He'd never seen a problem with it before now, Jay didn't seem unhappy or like he was hiding anything big... Now he had to wonder just what was running through his head.

"I-..." Jay hesitated, obviously troubled. "I'm sorry I yelled at you all yesterday."

"It's alright." Zane did his best to assure his friend, reaching over and taking his hand like he'd seen people in movies do.

The two friends fell into silence, allowed it to fill the air around them and still the moment, both tired and weary.

Zane broke the spell by letting go of Jay's hand and pulling two blue pieces of paper out of his pocket.

"I brought these," he said a little sheepishly, suddenly feeling a bit silly. "I thought you might like to look at them."

Jay took them from him, set them down, and clumsily unfolded the top one to reveal the falcon's blueprints. He looked it over, his gaze intense as he studied the diagram.

"Your father must have been a _brilliant_ inventor." He finally said, meeting Zane's gaze with a small smile.

"Oh? Why is that?" Zane asked with a smile of his own.

There's a brief moment where he can see the words spring to his friend's mind before he quickly changes them.

"Well, there's a reason airplanes don't flap their wings..." He trailed off, hesitant, but when Zane didn't show any signs of boredom or wanting to change the subject he continued. "That, and he had to make it light enough to fly in the first place, all while creating the right mechanisms to allow it to flap its wings."

"Is something like that hard?" Zane asked, already knowing the answer, even if he didn't fully understand the extent of it.

" _Hard_?" Jay asks, incredulous, before launching into a speech about mechanics, aerodynamics, and weight vs. lift.

They were still deeply entrenched in the conversation when the others arrived, Zane having kept the conversation going with a comment or a question. All of them stayed quiet as they listened to the two talk. For the first time since everything happened, Jay sounded like his normal self again...

 _fin_


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter seven

"How'd you do that?" Kai suddenly asked as they sat down at one of the cafeteria tables to eat.

"All I did was unwrap my burrito..." Zane said with confusion.

"What? No, I didn't mean _that_." Kai said with an exaggerated sigh. "I meant how did you get Jay to talk like that?"

"Yeah, I'm curious too." Cole added, looking up briefly from his struggle to open his fruit cup.

"Oh, I just showed him some of my father's blueprints." Zane shrugged. "He had a lot of interesting things to say about it."

"You followed all that?" Cole asked, plastic spork poised to stab the offending fruit cup. "A lot of it kinda went over my head."

"Yeah, I had trouble with it, too." Kai agreed. "I mean, who knew so much work went into making planes?"

"It made sense to me." Nya shrugged. "Maybe you guys just needed to pay closer attention."

There's a loud shout of surprise as Cole's fruit cup goes flying off.

"Sorry!" The black ninja apologizes with a wince, hurrying over to retrieve the wayward fruit cup. When he returns to the table, he sets it a good distance away from himself with a huff, obviously fed up with it.

Zane reaches over and pulls the plastic off in one smooth motion. Cole just stares at the fruit cup with disbelief as Kai and Nya laugh.

* * *

Jay had meant to eat the lunch that the nurse had brought him, he honestly had, but he'd been curious about the other blueprint Zane brought.

'I'll just take a quick look and then eat.' He had told himself.

He was surprised to find that it was Zane's blueprints, and also a bit touched that the white ninja would let him see it as Jay would've thought he'd consider them private. After that, he couldn't resist going over it, trying to relate the blueprints to the reality, the work that had to be done, the type of materials used, and the methods used to put it all together...

A thought occurred to him, then, and he lightly pressed his hand to his chest; if a machine could replace something as vital as his heart, why couldn't one replace the other things he lost? It seemed farfetched, but then, so did a mechanical bird that could actually fly, or the existence of a nindroid. No, the improbability of it wasn't going to stop him, what was going to stop him was his own inability to create something requiring such fine detail and precision.

He pushed the bitterness that thought brought away, because lingering just behind it was something much darker, something he didn't want to dwell on.

Someone clearing their throat caught his attention, drawing him out of his thoughts and his gaze towards the nurse making her way over.

"Mr.-" she pauses to check the clipboard at the end of his bed. "Jay Walker? This is becoming a bad habit of yours."

He follows her gaze to the uneaten food.

"I did intend to eat, I just got distracted..." He does his best to give her an apologetic look.

"I'll be back in half an hour to pick up your tray." She said, turning on heel to leave. "I hope that by the time I return you'll have at least made _some_ progress."

He made sure to eat the cold food quickly, not wanting to incite the stern nurse's wrath any more than he already had. Not too long after he finished, the nurse returned to take the tray, his friends just on her heels.

"I swear, it must have been rigged!"

"Why would someone rig a _fruit cup_?"

It was nice, how the atmosphere had changed for the better, everyone smiling and laughing...

"What are you guys talking about?" There was no way Jay could tell the others about his idea. Bringing it up meant asking them for help, asking them to try doing something impossible, and dealing with the inevitable failure.

He caught Zane's gaze for a second, the ice ninja had a contemplative look on his face, which wasn't unusual for him, but Jay couldn't help but feel like the ice ninja had read his mind.

"Apparently Cole can't open fruit cups!" Kai laughed.

Jay glances down momentarily, and the stark contrast of royal blue paper on a white blanket catches his eye.

" _Like I said before_ , it was probably rigged."

Right, Zane tended to notice things that the others didn't, it wouldn't surprise Jay if he noticed his own blueprint sitting open on the bed next to him.

"How would someone rig a fruit cup?" He asked, carefully folding the blueprint, just in case Zane didn't want the others to see it.

Actually, now he felt a bit bad for not making sure Zane hadn't handed it over by mistake before he looked it over.

"Yeah, and you never explained why someone would want to, either." Nya added, trying her best not to laugh like her brother was.

"I don't know, maybe they just get a laugh from seeing people struggle to open the stupid things!" Cole huffed, giving a certain red ninja a pointed glare.

"I don't know, man, Zane made it look pretty easy."

"Yeah, well, I bet _you_ wouldn't be able to open one, either."

"* _Pft_ * I bet it's easy."

And just like that the earth ninja and fire ninja were heading back to the cafeteria.

"I'm gonna go keep an eye on those two so they don't cause _too_ much trouble." Nya said with a small sigh.

"...why would trying to open a fruit cup cause trouble?" Jay asked after she left.

"Apparently they make excellent projectiles." Zane said, as if that sentence explained everything.

Jay considered asking why they'd be throwing them in the first place, or catapulting them, but decided against it, and instead use the time to bring up the blueprints.

"Ah, so, I guess you noticed that I kinda already looked at the other blueprint..." He laughed awkwardly.

"I'm surprised-"

"Yeah, sorry about that, man, I didn't mean to look, well, I mean, I _guess_ I _kinda_ did, but that was before I knew-"

"Jay, calm down." Zane cut in, looking both concerned and a bit amused. "I was only going to say I was surprised that you didn't seem to have much to say about it."

"Oh, yeah... I just-, I wasn't sure what to start with." He was relieved to hear that, happy that he hadn't been wrong, but he wasn't sure what he could say that wouldn't lead to his earlier thoughts.

"You can tell me anything." The way Zane had said it left room for Jay to pretend he had just meant the blueprints.

"It's..." He hesitated, unsure if he wanted to take that option or not.

"I just don't get it." Kai's voice could be faintly heard.

"W-why don't I tell you tomorrow?" Jay hurried to cover up. "I think I bored everyone enough today already."

If Zane was disappointed, he hid it well...

"Jay, I think Cole might be right." Kai said conspiratorially as they entered. "These things are rigged!"

"What happened?"

"You mean _before_ or _after_ these two broke three dishes?" Nya asks sarcastically.

They spent the rest of the visit talking about fruit cup conspiracies and how, exactly, you rig one, each suggestion ridiculous in its own way.

Jay's favorite was the DNA sensitive super glue Cole suggested.

 _fin_


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter eight

Patience had never been an issue for Zane, but he couldn't help but feel anxious while waiting for visiting hours to start. Unfortunately it seemed that the nurse who had let him in early the other day wasn't working today, so he was stuck waiting.

Finally the clock read seven, and he was on his feet before the nurse could say anything.

Neither of them said anything while he pulled up a chair.

"Hey..." Jay sounded nervous.

"Good morning." Zane wasn't sure how to reassure his friend, so he reached out and grabbed his hand. The blue ninja took a moment to study their hands, his brows furrowed in thought.

"Have you ever thought about how hard it would be to create a hand?" He met Zane's confused gaze with a look of determination. "The work you'd have to put into the articulation alone could pose enough of a challenge, but there's also the dexterity and the flexibility you have to think about."

"That... Sounds very complex." Zane admitted, uncertain as to what Jay was leading up to.

"Yeah, it's the reason why they haven't managed to create a prosthetic that perfectly mimics one, yet." Jay seemed to cringe a bit as he said prosthetic, and his gaze dropped back down to their hands. "Your creator managed _not only_ that, but he also recreated the sense of touch, as well."

Zane took a few seconds to allow the lightning ninja's words to sink in, so he could fully grasp what was troubling the brunet.

He was living proof that his father's designs worked, so if it could be used to create prosthetics, then it could not only help a lot of people, but it could also help Jay…

"I think I understand what you're trying to say, but I do not understand why it seems to be troubling you."

"I guess I should've mentioned the skill it would take to put it all together." He shook his head, sighing in resignation. "I can't really make _anything_ right now, Nya's always focused more on building cars so I don't think she would be able to do that kind of detail work, and the others, well, I'm not sure they could even make a _lamp_. We couldn't just hand it over to some company, either, because they'd want to take things slow, keep it in testing for a few years, not to mention the funding they'd need... It's just not going to happen."

That would explain why he was upset.

"What about me?"

Jay gave him a confused look, the question apparently catching him off guard.

"What about you?"

"I could do it; I helped my father create the falcon, after all."

"I _\- really_?" Jay asked, surprise clear in both his face and voice. "Are you sure?"

"I am. If there's anything I don't understand, I can always ask you, after all." Zane's words seemed to embarrass Jay a bit.

"W-well, I guess we could try." He hesitantly agreed. "Just... Let's not tell the others yet, in case it doesn't work."

"Alright."

It was tentative, but Zane had a feeling that things were going to get better from here on out.

 _fin_


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter nine

Nya had woken up earlier than normal, finished her cereal in record time and found herself heading to the hospital sooner than she normally would. She didn't think she would arrive before Zane, but now that Kai was actually returning to the bounty to sleep she figured that she would probably be the second to arrive.

Jay had missed the newest episode of 'Hearts like gears' and she figured that Zane was the only one of the other three ninja that would willingly listen to them talk about it, even if he didn't understand their interest in it.

"I _\- really_?" Jay asked, surprise clear in his voice. "Are you sure?"

Nya slowed as she neared the door, the voices from within easier to hear since the hustle and bustle of the day hadn't come to full swing just yet.

"I am. If there's anything I don't understand, I can always ask you, after all." Zane responded.

Nya knew she shouldn't eavesdrop, but she was curious as to what they were talking about.

"W-well, I guess we could try." Jay hesitantly agreed. "Just... Let's not tell the others yet, in case it doesn't work."

"Alright."

That... Sounded a _lot_ like they were agreeing to some sort of secret relationship.

Surely she was just reading too much into it... she would walk in and they'd probably be looking over more blueprints or thinking up some way to sneak in a video game. She counted to three in her head and then walked in.

"Hey, guys." It was a lucky break that she didn't freeze when she saw them holding hands.

"Oh, uh, hey Nya." Jay said with a nervous laugh, gently pulling his hand away from Zane's to run through his hair.

"Good morning." Zane sounded normal, at least. "I did not think anyone else would be up so soon."

Well now she felt bad. Zane made sure to get up early so that he could confess and now here she was interrupting their private moment together.

" _Yeah_ , I just woke up and thought I'd drop in before going and grabbing breakfast." It was a lie, but she needed some time to think about things. Like how she should feel about the guy who had been trying to get her attention suddenly agreeing to date another guy.

"Why don't I join you-"

" _No_!" She cut the ice ninja off. "No, you two were talking, right? Just, enjoy yourselves... I'll be back later." She hurried and left before either of them could answer.

* * *

After a full week passed the doctor had finally decided to release Jay from the hospital. He was anxious for a few different reasons, but the biggest thing was that Zane had finished making the prosthetics and they had both agreed that it would be best to wait until he got out before they took the next step. There was also a small part of him that hated the fact that he couldn't even push himself in the wheelchair, and that he couldn't just refuse when Cole had offered to push him.

Despite all that, he did his best to act normal so that the others wouldn't ask any questions.

"Is there anything you wanna do?" Kai asked once they were safely aboard the Bounty.

"Actually I was kinda hoping to spend some time alone." Jay said with an apologetic smile. "I love you guys, but there's only so much time you can spend together, you know?"

"Alright, but if you need anything don't hesitate to call."

"Don't worry, I'll be fine." He reassured them.

One by one they left, Kai a bit reluctantly, until Jay was alone.

He had a few minutes to himself while he waited for Zane to slip away from the others, which meant he had to find something to do. Everything that he would normally do was pretty much out; it took two hands to play video games, he couldn't build anything, and he couldn't even train.

Well, he could try writing...

"Why not?" Jay shrugged.

"Why not what?" Zane asked as he stepped in.

"Oh, hey, that was quick. How'd you manage to sneak away so soon?"

"Kai is practicing, Nya is working on her Samurai suit, and I think Cole is cooking." Zane started to gather the items they'd need. "I do not think they will notice my absence."

"Hopefully we'll be able to get most of these done, then."

"Are you ready to start?"

"Yea- wait." Jay reached down and put the wheelchair's break on. "Ok, _now_ I'm ready."

He figured that adding the ports would hurt, they were meant to hold on the prosthetics and connect them to his nervous system so that he could control them, but he hadn't expected it to feel like the nindroid was driving burning needles into his flesh. Despite the pain, Jay was determined to get them all done today, even if they had to take a short break between each one.

Hours passed and each one went by without a hitch until the last one, the port for his right leg that had to be attached directly to his hip.

"So, uh, this is... Kinda awkward."

"What do you mean?" Zane asked the blue ninja.

Jay gave the ice ninja an 'are you kidding me?' look, but the other was completely sincere in his question.

"It's just... _Where_... It is." He struggled to explain.

"I do not think it will be any more difficult to attach then the others." Zane tried to reassure him.

"No, that's not..." Jay cut himself off with a shake of the head. " _N-never mind_."

"I'm going to get started, then."

Jay just nodded, letting his face fall into his hand.

* * *

It had taken her hours, but Nya finally fixed the problem with the samurai suit. She decided to go grab a drink and relax while watching some TV as a reward.

"Maybe Jay would want to join me." She thought aloud, changing her course to head for the ninja's room. He'd had hours alone now, he wouldn't mind her interruption.

"Your face is really red, are you certain you are alright?" She froze when she heard Zane's worried voice faintly.

" _Yes,_ Zane, I'm fine..." The embarrassment was clear in the lightning ninja's voice.

It seemed Nya had once again stumbled upon the couple while they were trying to spend some alone time together... Well, this time she at least knew to leave them be.

She had decided that she would support them. She had also realized that she was more interested in the attention Jay had given her then who he was as a person, which she felt a bit guilty for, but hopefully when the couple came out there would be no hard feelings.

Besides, she could already tell that they made a cute couple.

 _fin_


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter ten

The search for the fang blades couldn't wait forever, so the day after Jay was released they were once again on the move. Nya had been tracking serpentine sightings, but there hadn't been any reports of large groups of them since the mega monster amusement park, so they were a bit aimless.

It was on their third day of aimless traveling that they entered the city of Bricksburg.

"Does something about this place seem a bit... Off to you?" Cole asked as they passed yet another Octan ad. "I mean, my dad told me about this place before, but he never mentioned any of _this_."

"It is a little odd." Nya agreed, eyeing an advertisement for 'where are my pants'. "What did your dad say about this place?"

"Just that he stayed there for a bit while trying to get his career off the ground."

"I wonder what happ-" The sound of a siren catches their attention.

"You, in the ship, pull over!" The officer's voice could be heard through his car's speaker.

Nya carefully maneuvered the ship lower and dropped the anchor.

"What do you think he wants?" Nya asked the ninja of earth.

"Now could whoever's in there please come out?" Another, kinder voice asked.

Once they were all on the side walk the two cops got out of their car and approached them.

"Is this all of you?" The cop wearing shades asked.

"It is." Kai assured him. "What is this about? We haven't done anything wrong."

"Nothing wrong, huh?" The cop asked sarcastically. "Then you won't have any problems with showing me your permit."

"Why would we need a permit?" Zane asked. "This has not been an issue before."

"All privately owned aircrafts need a permit." The cop wearing glasses said apologetically. "I'm afraid we're going to have to arrest whoever was piloting it."

"Aircraft?" Kai scoffed. "It's a _ship_!"

"Do you see an ocean in the sky, wise guy?" The cop wearing shades stepped into Kai's personal space, giving the impression that he was glaring at the fire ninja behind his shades. "Now are you going to tell us which one of you was piloting this aircraft or do we have to arrest _all_ of you?"

"You don't have to do that." Nya said, trying to defuse the situation. "I-"

"I'm the one who was piloting it." Kai cut in, glaring at the cop in shades. "Ow, _hey_ , take it easy!"

Without hesitation the cop began to handcuff Kai roughly, and led him to the back of the squad car.

"Where are you taking him?" Nya was worried for her brother.

"He'll be put into a holding cell at this address," The cop in glasses wrote down an address and gave it to Nya. "You can come bail him out, but you'll have to pay his fine and get the permit before you can reclaim your airship."

They watched in stunned silence as the squad car drove off.

"What do we do now?" The ice ninja broke the silence.

"We go bail out my brother first, _then_ we can think of what to do next." And started to head off to do just that.

"Shouldn't one of us wait for the tow truck?" Jay asked, stopping Nya's brisk pace before she could get anywhere.

"Jay is right, it would be inconvenient if we did not know where they took the Bounty." Zane agreed. "I will stay here and wait."

"Maybe I should stay behind." Cole offered, since Zane wasn't always the most knowledgeable when it came to these kinds of things.

"I will be fine. You should hurry."

Jay could tell that Nya was anxious to get going, so he quickly thought up a compromise.

"We don't all need to go bail him out, so why don't you two stay and we can go get him?"

Everyone agreed and the group found themselves splitting up.

* * *

" _Ten thousand_?!" Nya was shocked. "That's a _ridiculous_ amount!"

There was no way they could afford that, even if they forewent eating for a month or two.

"I'm sorry, miss, but that's the lowest the bail could have been set for the crime he committed." The woman behind the glass wall had a compassionless expression on her face. "You're actually very lucky, seeing as he resisted arrest."

"He _did not_ resist-! You know what, never mind. Can I at least see him?"

"Prisoners are only allowed one visitor at a time."

She gave the woman a poisonous glare before turning to Jay and giving him an apologetic look.

"Will you be alright here while I go talk to my brother?"

"Don't worry about it."

"Thanks." She hurried to follow the guard that would lead her to the cell that her brother was in.

Jay was starting to wonder if he should've stayed with Zane instead, the two could've spent the time talking and he wouldn't have had to deal with all the stares they'd gotten on their way over. It was like they'd never seen someone in a wheelchair before...

"Hey, uh, is James in?" A guy asked the lady behind the glass. "I was told he'd be here."

The voice sounded familiar to Jay, but he couldn't place it, and the guy's back was to him so he couldn't connect it to a face.

"Sorry, honey, there was an emergency and he got called on to help." Her voice had taken on a much nicer tone all of a sudden. "I could tell him you dropped in, if you want."

"Oh, no, it really wasn't all that important... Thanks anyway."

The guy turned to leave, and Jay managed to catch a glimpse of his face.

"Emmett?" Jay called out, certain that was who the guy was.

Emmett paused and turned to look at the blue ninja, confused for a moment before realization dawned on his face.

" _Jay_? Man, what _happened_ to you?"

He hesitated a bit before answering, unsure of what he should say exactly.

"There was an accident... Animal attack."

"Wow, that-... I mean, _aside_ from that you look good." Emmett said awkwardly.

"Yeah _,_ so, how have you been?" Jay changed the subject for both of their sakes. "I haven't seen you since- it's been, what, four years?"

"Three, actually, and I've been good." He gestured to his clothes. "I got a job as a construction worker."

"That would explain the orange vest and pants." Jay smirked. "Did you just get off work?"

"Yeah, I did... Oh, what are you doing here, by the way?" Emmett asked, realizing just where they were. "You didn't get in trouble, did you?"

"No, a friend of mine did." He frowned, remembering the incident. "Apparently the bail is ten thousand dollars, though, so I don't think he'll be out anytime soon."

Emmett's eyes went wide at the amount.

"What'd he _do_?"

" _Apparently_ it's illegal to fly a ship around here without a permit." He rolled his eyes at that, although Emmett didn't seem to agree.

"Well, it'd be a problem if everyone was allowed to fly their _-_ wait, did you say _ship_?"

"Yep, I set it up myself." Jay couldn't keep the pride out of his voice. "I'd show you, but they towed it, and who knows how much they'll charge us to get it back... Which means that we'll have to find a place to stay, too."

"Well... I'm not sure if I can help you with the other stuff, but if you need a place to stay you could always stay with me."

"Really? Are you sure?" The offer surprised Jay, and he wanted to be sure the other knew what he was getting into. "It wouldn't be just me, not counting my friend in jail right now there's about four of us."

"It might be a tight squeeze, but what are cousins for?"

"Thanks..." Jay was relieved, as that meant one less thing to worry about.

Their luck lately had been terrible, but maybe, with a bit of perseverance, things would start to turn in their favor.

 _fin_


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter eleven

" _Three thousand_ dollars... The others are _not_ gonna believe it." Cole sighed. "I mean, it's ridiculous, isn't it?"

"I am not sure, I've never checked the usual rate that is charged for such a service before."

Cole gave the blond ninja a 'really?' look, but the other didn't seem to understand.

When they walked into the police station they saw Nya shaking hands with what appeared to be a construction worker.

"What's going on? Where's Kai?"

"They wanted ten thousand dollars for bail." Jay explained while Nya gave the woman behind the glass another glare.

" _Whoa_... And I thought they were asking a lot for the Bounty."

"Your friend has a _bounty_ on his head?!" The construction worker sounded worried, giving the group nervous glances.

"Do not worry, it is not that kind of bounty." Zane assured the other with a kind smile. "It is merely the name of our ship."

"You call your flying house boat 'bounty'?"

"Who is this guy, anyway?" Cole asked, gesturing to Emmett.

"This is my cousin, Emmitt Brickowski." The construction worker waved as Jay introduced him. "He's letting us stay with him until we can get everything sorted out."

"It is nice to meet you, I'm Zane Julien." The ice ninja stepped forward and offered his hand. "It is very generous of you to offer your home up."

"It's more of an apartment, really." Emmitt said bashfully. "And it's nice to meet you, too."

"Cole Beckett." The black ninja introduced himself.

After the introductions they decided to go to Emmett's place.

The apartment was modest in size, obviously meant for a bachelor, but it had a nice, homey feel to it.

"Ok, so there's the bed, the couch, and I think I might have a sleeping bag somewhere in my closet..." The construction worker moved over to his closet and began to search for the sleeping bag, pulling out costumes and setting them on the bed to get them out of the way.

While he did that, Nya did a quick head count.

"I don't think there's going to be enough space, even if you guys share the bed."

They all looked around, everyone silently doing the same head count and coming to the same conclusion. The bed looked like it could only hold two people comfortably, so unless the couch pulled out or they bought another sleeping bag, there was only enough room for four people.

Buying another sleeping bag would be easy enough, although it would likely be overpriced, if their experience so far was anything to go by.

The doorbell rang, and Emmitt excused himself, telling the others to make themselves at home, then went to answer the door.

* * *

Lucy made her way through the familiar streets of Bricksburg city at a controlled, yet brisk, pace. She didn't think she needed to hurry, but worry was gnawing at the back of her mind.

He had promised to call after lunch, but it was already three... Surely he hadn't gotten into trouble with the law, she'd never met someone who was such a stickler for the rules like Emmett was, even following the ones that didn't make any sense. He was naive, though, so if he had a run in with someone shadier he might not even realize he was being robbed, even when they pulled a knife out.

Pushing those thoughts away, she rang his doorbell and waited with baited breath.

"Lucy! Hi." He greeted her with his usual cheerful smile. "I wasn't expecting you to drop by today."

Nothing seemed wrong, so she was starting to feel a tad foolish for how she'd reacted, as well as irritated that he'd forgotten his promise so easily.

"Yeah, well, when you failed to call and tell me how things went I started to get worried." She sighed, rolling her eyes.

"Oh! Right, I am _so sorry_ , I guess I kinda forgot..." He gave her his best bashful-slash-sorry look.

" _Forgot?_ Emmitt, you were so nervous that you called me about it _three times_!" The brunet had even called her at _two in the morning_ when he couldn't sleep, waking her up, and getting an earful of her ranting at him to never call her so late ever again unless it was an actual emergency.

"Well, I'd never visited him at work before, and-"

"Yeah, I know, you only explained it to me three times already." She cut him off before he could explain it to her _yet again_. "What I want to know is what happened and why you didn't call me."

As if remembering that they were having the conversation in the hallway, he steps back and motions her in, closing the door behind her with a soft click.

"There was an accident, so I didn't get to see him... As for why I didn't call, I ended up meeting my cousin."

"Really? I didn't know you had family in the area." This was news to her, as he had never mentioned his family before.

"He's just passing through with his friends and got caught up in some trouble." He explains the situation to her as best he could, although she wasn't sure if they were truly dressed like ninja or if he'd just let a bunch of ski mask wearing strangers into his home.

"Wait, they're all here _right now_?"

"Yeah, why?"

"Doesn't that mean that they're all currently standing around in your bedroom?" Her question only gets a blank look from the construction worker. "What do you think they're _doing_ , Emmitt?"

He shrugged, apparently unconcerned.

"Do you want to meet them?" He offered, gesturing to the door.

If he got robbed, she would give him so much flak for it.

"Sure, why not?"

They slipped into the bedroom, which was crowded with so many people in it, and she got a good look at the odd group while Emmitt introduced her.

"This is my friend Lucy. Lucy, this is Cole, Zane, Nya, and my cousin Jay."

They really were dressed like ninja...

"Alright, I wasn't going to say anything, but this has been bugging me for a while now." Cole says, picking up one of Emmett's costumes from the bed. " _Why_ do you have a serpentine costume?"

"That's a dragon costume." He explains with a shrug.

"I hate to say it, but it does look a bit like it is a serpentine costume."

"Yeah, man, where did you get it? I think you should ask for a refund or something."

The construction worker takes the costume from the black ninja, picks up one of its limp clawed hands and hold it up in a 'rwar' gesture.

"It's _obviously_ a dragon!" He dropped the sleeve when the four didn't seem convinced. "What's a sir-pen-tie anyway?"

"How could you _not_ know about the serpentine?" Jay asked in disbelief. "They're all over the news!"

"Uh, I haven't seen anything about serpent-whatevers on the news."

" _Of course_ you wouldn't;" Lucy scoffs. "President Business wouldn't want his citizens thinking that _anything_ could be wrong in this _perfect paradise_ of his."

"Wait, so no one here knows that the serpentine are back?"

"A few people suspect that President Business isn't telling the whole truth, but that's only a minority." Lucy glances over at Emmitt. "Most people would rather pretend that everything's fine."

"That's _crazy_!" Jay exclaims with a short, disbelieving laugh. "What does he think will happen if the city is attacked?"

"It'd be chaos." The black ninja bluntly points out.

"What reason would he have to lie, though?" Emmitt pipes up.

"To keep people complacent and happily buying overpriced coffee?" Lucy suggests.

"Why don't we talk about this over an early dinner?" Nya suggests. "I think I speak for everyone when I say that we're just as curious as you are about what's been going on, and this is probably gonna be a _long_ conversation _."  
_  
"Sounds like a plan."

 _Fin_


	12. Chapter 12

Chapter twelve

Lucy had filled them in as to why the city was the way it was. Apparently the city had fallen on some hard times a couple years ago and President Business had swooped in and saved the city.

He jacked up the prices for everything, made people believe that that meant the economy was better, and inserted his influence into every aspect of the city; the news, the police, and even the supermarket were under his thumb now.

 _'Is there anything we can do to help?'_ Zane had asked.

 _'Maybe, but it would probably take time you don't have right now.'_

While none of the ninja were happy just leaving things as they were, the search for the fang blades took top priority, otherwise there might not even be a city to save.

 _'Once we've stopped the serpentine, we'll come back-'_ Cole had tried to promise, only to be cut off by Lucy.

 _'Thanks, but you've already done enough. This is Bricksburg's problem and if nothing changes after what you've told me goes public, then I don't think any amount of shin-kick-ju is going to change that.'_

It was late when they finished talking, and only then did the earlier problem come back to mind.

 _'You don't think the shops are still open, do you?'_

 _'None that would carry sleeping bags.'_

 _'Why would you need sleeping bags?'_

 _'We just so happen to have more people then we have beds.'_

 _'I have a guest room, I could take someone.'_

 _'It isn't too much trouble?'_

 _'Well, for once it seems Emmet's judge of character is right, so it's fine.'_

 _'Hey!'_

And so Nya ended up staying with Lucy, leaving the guys to figure who got to sleep where back at Emmet's apartment. Zane, selfless as he was, insisted on taking the sleeping bag, and Emmet, intent on being a good host, had insisted that someone else have the bed at least.

It had gone rather smoothly without their most spirited ninja there to kick up a fuss, and before Jay knew it he was stuck sharing the bed with Cole.

He couldn't exactly complain about the arrangements; any other time he'd have been cheering at getting the bed, would have been asleep almost as soon as his head hit the pillow, but doubt had kept him up, was _keeping_ him up. What if the prosthetics didn't work? What would he do if he couldn't be a ninja anymore?

He didn't know about the others, but in his experience people were fickle, friends one day and strangers the next.

What had led to them becoming friends was a bunch of magical weapons that they were destined to wield and an evil master mind. But without that, without the threat of world domination or mystical ninja powers, what really tied them together? None of them really had similar interests aside from video games… it'd be all too easy for them to part ways and never see each other again.

They all considered each other brothers; that _had_ to count for something, right?

'Funny,' he thought bitterly. 'How the one usually trying to keep everyone's spirits up is a pessimist…'

They had to get Kai and the bounty back soon, because he wasn't sure how much more of this he could stand.

* * *

They had all gathered together to discuss their options over brunch.

" _So,_ to summarize, if we go about this the legal way we'll be here for the rest of our lives trying to work off the debt. Or, we go into debt trying to pay for it all, but bail on the bill. _Or_ we could forgo all of it by stealing the Bounty and just breaking Kai out." Jay was the first to speak, and although it was laced with his brand of sarcasm, he got right to the heart of the matter and laid their options out on the table for everyone to consider.

"Look, you're my cousin and all, but if you're going to do something illegal you can count me out." Emmet quickly objected.

"Then you should probably leave." Cole told the construction worker plainly. "Because as far as I'm concerned the first two aren't even options."

"Emmet, do you _really think_ we have rules against flying airships without a permit?" Lucy asked her friend, and when he couldn't answer, she went on. "We don't. I checked last night. This is just another of President Business' attempts to keep news from spreading."

"But he only arrested one of us. Wouldn't it have been more advantageous to arrest us all?" Zane pointed out.

"You'd be more focused on getting your friend and your ship back than talking about what's going on outside the city."

"Are you sure you checked _everything_?"

" _Really_ Emmet?"

"What? I just don't think turning to crime right off the bat is a good idea. I mean, you could try and take it up with the courts. If there really isn't a law then there shouldn't be a problem getting your friend released."

"We don't have that kind of time." Cole sighed. "Look, either you're with us or not, but don't waste our time trying to change our minds."

The construction worker glances from face to face, each one determined, and he sighs in defeat.

"By this point I think I'm already an accessory for not reporting you…"

"Does that mean you'll help us?"

"As long as I don't have to break into anything."

* * *

"So what really changed your mind?" Jay broke the silence that had previously enveloped the two.

"What do you mean?" the construction worker took a second to give his cousin a confused look, then focused back on the road.

"I mean you could have just agreed to drive me outside of the city, but you gave the guys the layout of the holding cells. That doesn't sound like someone who's only helping out of some kind of obligation or simply because they were already an accomplice."

Emmet doesn't answer right away, and as the silence stretches on Jay starts to wonder if he'd insulted the other.

"I guess… after everything you all said and what Lucy's been telling me, I can't help but wonder if, _maybe_ , you're right." He sounded hesitant, but it was a start.

"I've been meaning to ask how you two became friends." There was no point to push the previous topic, Lucy would have to give him the push he'd need later. "I mean, you two are nothing alike."

"Well, we met at a construction site…"

"Really? What was she doing there?"

"Free running, apparently."

"I'm assuming she wasn't supposed to be there."

"Nope."

"And you didn't call the cops on her?"

"That's a funny story…"

* * *

Spending a night in prison was an experience Kai had never thought he'd ever have, but after his sister had regretfully informed him of the fact that this place had ridiculous prices he knew there was no way that he'd be getting out that day, at least, so he'd be stuck in one of the _many_ holding cells this place had.

' _You wouldn't think they'd need this many_.' Kai had thought when he'd first seen them. ' _But with the_ _ **stellar**_ _police force, I guess they've got overcrowding issues_.'

He wasn't alone, of course, there was another guy sharing the cell he'd been assigned to, but he was an odd fellow. He was more machine than man, even his _beard_ was metal, and he claimed that he'd been incarcerated because he didn't have a license to sail his boat.

Kai wasn't sure how he managed that, since there were no large bodies of water for miles and when he'd mentioned the Bounty the man just scoffed at the idea of a flying ship, but he wasn't about to start questioning the man's story. He'd rather not have to deal with some crazy guy attacking him while confined in a cell.

Not that he couldn't take the guy, if it came to that…

" _Kai_!" his sister called out in a loud whisper.

"Nya!" he ran to the bars, taking in the sight of his sister and the ice ninja, as well as the guard passed out on the ground. "Ok, so I'm just gonna assume you're here to break me out."

"We are."

Zane pulled out his Shuriken and shot a stream of ice at the lock, freezing it, then kicked it. The lock broke and Nya hurriedly pulled the door open. Before Kai could move he was brushed aside by his much larger cellmate, who fled down the hall, yelling something about 'landlubbers'.

Shaking his head at the strange man's antics, Kai follows the other two out into the streets.

"So what's the plan?" Sirens were starting to blare. Kai figured the lunatic had gone out the front door, giving them away as well.

"We're going to converge with the path that Cole should have set for the Bounty and see if we can catch a ride."

"Is that all?" Kai smirked. "This should be easy, then."

"We still need to avoid the police and escape the city once we get on the Bounty, but yeah, should be a piece of cake."

* * *

Cole had seen booted cars before, in the city it wasn't uncommon for someone to park where they shouldn't and get in trouble, but this really took the cake.

"Is that what I think it is?" Lucy asked him, almost laughing.

"Unless you think it's _not_ a refrigerator tied to the anchor, I'm pretty sure you're not wrong."

"But- was this really the _best_ they could do?"

"You say that as if you _wanted_ a challenge." She only shrugged in response and he decided that they'd lingered long enough. "Ninja go!"

Like a dust devil he spun towards the chain and broke it off, freeing the refrigerator from the anchor.

The chaos that happened that day would be talked about for weeks to come by the people of bricksburg city. There would be embellishments, like the inclusion of a man who defied gravity, a giant octopus, or a cat with a unicorn horn being drawn into the fray, but when the original story had a bunch of ninja on a flying pirate ship running from the cops, the rest didn't exactly sound so absurd.

Although the ninja wouldn't know it for some time, as they'd said their tearful goodbyes over the sound of police sirens, they'd left an impression on the city that had caused waves even President Business couldn't quell.

 _fin_


	13. Chapter 13

Chapter thirteen

"Hey Nya, have you seen Zane anywhere?" Kai asked his sister, pulling her attention away from the training dummy she'd be attacking.

"I haven't seen him all day." She shrugs.

"That's what Cole said, too." He sighed. "Maybe Jay'll know where he is."

I look of realization crossed her face and she hurried to stop her brother.

"Uh, why do you need to know where he is, anyway?" She got an odd look from Kai, so she hurried to add. "Maybe I can help."

"It's just my turn to cook tonight and I wanted to ask his opinion about what I should cook."

"Oh is that all? Well, what are we waiting for, then? Let's go!"

"Ok…" Kai followed after his sister, still confused over her odd behavior. She was obviously hiding something, although he had no idea what it could be, or why she didn't want him talking to Jay was a mystery.

He'd press her for details after he'd gotten dinner started; he didn't want to deal with the others complaining about him starving them or have them call him air headed or something.

* * *

That morning Jay had told Zane that he was ready; the ports had had plenty of time to heal, and any more time spent waiting was just a waste. The ice ninja had seemed hesitant, perhaps he knew how anxious Jay was, but he didn't refuse.

Attaching the prosthetics had been easier than the ports, less painful at least, although it felt a bit like his limbs had fallen asleep and were just waking up, tingling with pins and needles for a bit before slowly settling down. Each time they'd attached a new one, they took some time making sure it worked, testing his control, sense of touch, and reflexes.

Finally, after what felt like hours, he was going to try standing. His stomach felt like it was tied in knots and he almost thought he could hear his heart whirring, making the blood rush in his ears.

"Here." Zane offered his hand. Jay took it with trembling fingers, took a shaky breath to try and calm his nerves, and then attempted to stand.

He stumbled, falling into the white ninja and almost dragging them both down before he got his footing and stood up straight.

"It works…" he breathed out in a whisper, before more loudly. "It _works_!" the blue ninja tackles the other in a hug, causing them both to go crashing to the ground. "You're _amazing_ Zane!"

"It was nothing…" he assured his friend, patting his back. There was a slight shake in the lightning ninja's frame every time he breathed. "Are you crying?"

"What? _No._ " he quickly denied, pulling away to scrub at his eyes furiously. "I just got something in my eye, that's all."

"Then perhaps you should go check in the mirror?"

"Naw, I think I got it." He sniffled. "…But, uh, thanks, man. F-for doing all this, I mean."

"You are welcome." He stood up and offered the blue ninja his hand once more. "Do you want to practice before we tell the others?"

"Yeah…" he pulled himself up to stand, this time managing not to over balance. "That sounds like a good idea."

* * *

"Alright, lasagna is in the oven. Now spill." Nya gives Kai her nervous smile that says 'I don't know what you're talking about.' "Come on, Nya, you never cared about what I cooked before now. Do you really think I wouldn't realize?"

"Alright, fine." She admits with an annoyed sigh. "But I can't tell you, Kai, it isn't really my secret to tell."

"Does it have something to do with Jay?" Her shocked expression said it all. "I thought so. Does Cole know?"

"I don't know." When had her brother become so observant? She didn't want to out the couple before they were ready, but at this rate…

"We're a team, Nya, we can't afford to keep secrets from each other." He told his sister sternly. "If you won't tell me, then I'll just go ask Jay myself."

"Wait! Kai, I promise it isn't anything bad, and I'm sure they'll tell you when they're ready." She grabbed his arm in an effort to stop him. "Just _trust me_ and let it go for now."

" _They_?" She felt her stomach drop as he pointed out her mistake. "Who else is involved in this? Zane?" Once more her expression spoke volumes. "Well this just gets _even better_. It's not just _one_ of my teammates hiding something from me, but _two_!"

"Just calm down, Kai, I swear it's nothing bad." He didn't answer, just pulled his arm from her grip and stalking towards the door. She knew her brother well enough to know that he'd kick up a fuss about the secret, and then the couple would be forced to out themselves while he glared daggers at them… " _They're dating!_ "

Kai froze in the doorway, then slowly turned back to her.

"What?"

She steps closer and almost whispers.

"Jay and Zane; I think they're dating."

"Um, Nya, last time I checked Jay liked _you_ , not Zane." He was looking at her like she was crazy.

"That's what I thought, too, but I overheard them talking back at the hospital. It sounded like Zane had confessed and Jay accepted, but they decided not to tell anyone."

"But Zane's a robot… how would that even work?"

"What, are you saying that he can't love just because he's a robot?"

"That's not what I- You know what, I think you've watched one too many soap operas, Nya." He concluded with a shake of the head.

"I have not! If you'd heard them, you'd be saying the same thing, too!"

"Yeah right." He turned to leave, waving his hand dismissively.

"Where are you going?!"

"To check on dinner." He called over his shoulder. "Why don't you go tell the ' _couple'_ that it'll be done soon?"

She glared at her brother's retreating back, annoyed by how easily he'd dismissed the whole thing.

'This is probably why they haven't said anything yet…' She thought.

 _Fin_


	14. Chapter 14

Chapter fourteen

Zane had been worried that the design wouldn't work. He'd followed the instructions, Jay had helped when he'd been uncertain of how to change things, but there was always the chance that they'd missed something or he'd done something wrong.

"You're _amazing_ Zane!" It had been immensely relieving when it had worked, Jay was ecstatic and had surprised him with both the hug and his words.

"It was nothing…" His father had come up with the design and Jay had come up with the idea, all he did was put it together. He was going to say as much when he'd laid a hand on his friend's back and realized that it shuttered with every breath he took. "Are you crying?" His worry returned. If the prosthetics were hurting Jay then-

"What? _No._ " The blue ninja quickly pulled back, scrubbing at his eyes. "I just got something in my eye, that's all."

'That shouldn't have affected your breathing.' He thought, but Jay's face didn't show any signs of pain, so he just went along with Jay's excuse.

As the blue ninja practiced using his new limbs he made sure to keep an eye out for any signs of pain or discomfort, and although Jay stumbled a lot, he seemed fine.

If Zane had to hazard a guess it'd be that, though he knew how to walk, the muscle memory was gone. Without it all the tiny adjustments that a person makes when walking or standing was gone as well, making him clumsy and unbalanced.

With enough time and practice he'd rebuild that muscle memory, and then nothing would be able to hold him back.

There's a knock at the door that catches their attention.

"Hey, Kai said dinner will be done soon!" Nya called through the door.

"Alright, we will be out in a minute." They silently listen to the sound of her footsteps getting fainter until they can't be heard. "Are you ready?"

"As ready as I'll ever be."

With nothing else left to be said, they made their way to the dining room. Cole and Nya were at the table having a casual conversation, Kai must still be in the kitchen waiting for the food to finish cooking.

Jay hesitated next to him, appearing to be thinking hard about what to say.

"So, uh, surprise?" his voice draws Nya's and Cole's attention to him, and they stare in stunned silence. "Now before you ask, you aren't dreaming, this isn't a trick, or an illusion or some kind of alternate universe or-"

"Jay!" Cole cuts off the blue ninja's rant, gets up from his chair and approaches, giving the other a once over before asking a single question. "How?"

The lightning ninja glances over at Zane, who takes it as his queue to speak up.

"We used my blueprints as a base to make some prosthetics-" he noticed the slight grimace on Jay's face out of the corner of his eye. "We did have to change a few things, but overall it's the same."

"Well, it's amazing! It's like-" A loud crash cut him off, bringing all their attention to the doorway that lead to the kitchen, where Kai now stood.

"Tell me I'm not dreaming…" he rushed over to join the other three ninja, giving Jay a once over just like Cole had. "It's like it never happened."

Those words didn't sit well with Zane, but he didn't know why. What the fire ninja said hadn't been wrong, he'd done his best to make the prosthetics look as real as possible, so it was almost impossible to tell that he had robotic limbs. Still, knowing that didn't change his feelings.

'How puzzling.' He thought.

"Uh, Kai?" Jay had an amused look on his face.

"What?"

"Was that our dinner that you dropped earlier?"

There's a pause, then everyone looks towards the doorway, where a splattered mess of sauce, noodle, and ceramic sat.

"Aw man…" He groaned. "I'll go get a mop."

"Since it's too late to cook anything else, I'm gonna go pick up some pizza." Cole decided.

After the two ninja left for their tasks, Jay turned his attention to Nya.

"Nothing to say?"

"Huh?"

"You're the only one who hasn't said anything yet…" He sounded a little nervous.

"I'm just… surprised, is all." She said with an apologetic smile and a shrug.

Jay was about to ask something when Kai returned, dragging a bunch of cleaning supplies behind him.

"Hey, where'd Cole go?"

"He went to retrieve some pizzas for dinner." Zane answered.

"I would've gone with him if he'd waited."

"Perhaps he did not want you to drop the pizzas?"

"Ha, Ha, very funny." The fire ninja shook his head and got to work, ignoring the other's snickering.

* * *

The pizza place was much more crowded than Cole had expected it to be at this time of night. The line had gone fast, thankfully, but it was taking an annoyingly long amount of time for them to actually make the orders.

The place didn't have much in the way of entertainment, just a couple quarter machines and what looked like an old jukebox that looked like it hadn't been turned on in years. He tried a few of the buttons anyway, but it didn't react at all.

'Maybe it just isn't plugged in?' He thought.

"Order up!" a girl behind the counter yelled. "Two cheese pizzas and three vegetarian pizzas!"

He sighed when he realized it wasn't his order. How long was he going to have to wait?

The fluttering of a piece of paper falling to the ground caught his attention. The people who'd just picked up their order must have dropped it. He picked it up and tapped one of the guys on his shoulder.

"Excuse me? You dropped this." He held it out, but the guy only sighed. They were both holding pizzas, so maybe he was just annoyed that he couldn't take it. "I could just set on top or take those for a second-"

"There's no point." He said with a dramatic sigh. "I didn't make the cut."

Okay, now this guy was starting to weird him out a bit.

"Uh, this _is_ yours, right?"

" _No_. not anymore! I don't care what you do with it, just get it out of my sight!" And then he just walked out the door.

"I'm sorry about that. He's just upset, is all." The strange man's friend apologized before hurrying after the other.

For a few seconds Cole just stood there, then curiosity got the better of him and he turned his attention towards the paper he held. It was glossy, like something from a magazine, and was folded into a square. He unfolded it and looked it over.

[The annual fight for the blade cup has finally rocked and rolled its way around once again! Do you think you have what it takes to win?]

Sandwiched between the two lines of text was a picture of said blade cup, silver with that ridiculous blade jammed in the top of the lid, sticking out blade first and generally being a safety hazard. Although, now that he thought about it, it _did_ seem familiar… and then it dawned on Cole.

"I know where the next fang blade is…" He couldn't help but whisper aloud.

"Order up! Two pepperoni pizzas!" Finally his order had arrived, and just in time, too; He had to get back and tell the other's what he'd found.

 _Fin_


	15. Chapter 15

Chapter fifteen

"Hey, Zane! Come on, man, get up." Kai shook the White ninja, forcing him to wake up, although he was a little groggy. "Gee, between you and Jay I'm not sure who's harder to wake up."

"I apologize, I was having a strange dream…"

"I'd love to hear about it, but Cole's insisting that we're all ready to leave as soon as we get there, so if you want breakfast you're going to have to hurry." And with that the red ninja left, probably to go get something to eat.

Zane did his best to go through his morning routine at a decently fast pace, but he couldn't help but think about the dream he'd had. He couldn't remember all the details, but what he could remember was unusual. They were in a museum, but instead of it being a series of rooms, it was one long hallway that never seemed to end. The others didn't seem to be interested in any of the things on display, they just kept on walking without even the slightest pause. Although Zane had wanted to examine the displays, maybe read the plaques describing the pieces, he didn't want to be left behind by the others, so he did his best to take them in as they passed them. He couldn't remember much about them now, though, and that was rather frustrating, because he could remember thinking that they'd held some importance at the time.

There was probably more to that dream, or it felt like there was more, but since Kai had woken him up he hadn't seen it.

'There is no point being upset over spoiled milk.' He thought to himself.

He quickly pulled out his normal clothes from the bottom of the drawer and got changed. It was almost odd wearing these clothes again after so long; it made him think back on the time before he became a ninja, before he'd known who he was or where he belonged… Did the others feel similarly, he wondered, or was it different for them, as they always knew who they were?

In the dining room the others were talking, or, Nya, Kai, and Cole were talking while Jay seemed to be spaced out, eyes glazed over and staring at nothing while lazily eating a piece of toast. Zane made his way over and sat next to the blue ninja.

"Good morning. How are you feeling?"

"Hm?" He had been more alert then the ice ninja had thought, instantly snapping to attention. "I'm fine. Perfect, actually… just _peachy_."

"How is it possible to feel like a peach?"

"No, Zane, it's just a saying. You know, like…" He trailed off, looking like he was thinking hard about what would be the best example. "Like 'zebras don't change their spots'."

"I think you mean leopards."

"Zebras don't change into leopards? That doesn't make any sense."

"No, I was referring to the cor-"

"Ahem." Cole pretended to clear his throat, giving the two ninja a pointed look. " _As I was saying_ -"

* * *

They arrived at what appeared to be a small village surrounded by sprawling city on all sides; the only splash of green visible from the ship. Once they were on the ground Cole turned to the others and opened the case he was carrying, revealing his scythe already inside.

"Alright, hand 'em over."

"Ah, ah, but no mortal shall possess all four." Jay joked while he put his nun-chucks in the case, forcing himself to chuckle as he walked away to complete the act.

"Very funny." Cole gave the blue ninja an unamused look.

Zane put his shuriken in without comment and followed after Jay.

"You wanna remind me again why we can't keep our weapons?" The fire ninja asked as he placed his sword in the case.

"I _told_ you; my dad can't find out I'm a ninja, and I don't feel like making up excuse's as to why I'm carrying a giant scythe around with me." He closed the case and the four began to walk up to the front door of his dad's house. "Just remember the plan. We find out who has the fang blade trophy, we snatch it, and then we get the heck out of town." Before the others could say anything else he knocked on the door.

"Just a moment." Was the muffled reply, and then a few moments later the door opened to reveal a man in a suit with a mustache, looking almost exactly as he had in the photo that Cole had shown them.

"Hey, Dad! How long has it been?"

"What? You too good for the doorbell?" He asked before slamming the door in their faces, leaving all the ninja stunned speechless. " _Use the bell._ " His muffled voice could once more be heard through the door.

The ninja of earth did as he was told and rang the doorbell, but instead of a chime it sounded like someone singing 'welcome'. Again his father opened the door, this time with a smile and a laugh.

"Come on in, Son. It's been forever!" He pulled Cole into a quick hug, then looked at the other three. "What did you bring, a quartet? Come in, come in! I've got a kettle of lemon honey tea on the stove right now."

He ushered them into what appeared to be the his living room, though there was a bunch of theater related items scattered about, and on the wall near his gramophone was multiple posters for the Royal Blacksmiths, along with a big picture of the blade cup.

"My name is Lou Beckett." He introduced himself. "It's nice to finally meet some of my Son's friends, letters are nice, but they can only tell you so much."

"I'm Zane Julien. It is nice to meet you Mr. Beckett."

"Kai Hisagi."

"Jay Walker. And I think I speak for us all when I say we're just as curious about you."

The beeping of a timer going off catches their attention, and Lou heads off to get it, telling them to make themselves at home.

"Your dad doesn't seem too bad." Kai says as they all sit down on one of the two benches. "Why can't you tell him you're a ninja?"

"Not so loud!" Cole admonishes the red ninja. "And I already explained why I can't. You don't know him like I do, so just trust me."

"Alright, alright, no need to get your panties in a twist."

Lou returns, gives them all a cup of tea and then puts a record on, pausing to admire his posters before turning to face the group once more.

"Did my son tell you I broke my foot? It was the cha-cha, but I _swear_ the percussionist had it in for me."

"No, Dad, I didn't tell them any of your silly stories." Cole almost sighed in exasperation. His father really did love being the center of attention...

" _Silly stories?_ " The mustached man sounded offended.

"What he meant was we've been so busy training at the… uh…" Kai hurried to try and smooth things over, only to draw a blank on the name of the school that Cole had told his father he was attending.

"Uh, the Martha Opinhiemer, yeah-hah." Jay laughed a bit, only to be startled by the sound of a needle scratch, as Lou stopped the music.

" _Martha_ Opinhiemer?"

"What he's trying to say is the _Marty_ Opinhiemer School of performing arts." Zane corrected his friends, emphasizing the word in the hopes that they'd remember it next time.

"Right!" Cole agreed nervously. "Heh, well, um, see, we have this final research paper we're doing on the history of Ninjago talent, and what we really wanted to know was how can we get our hands on the blade cup." If they could just get their answer and get out, then he wouldn't have to worry about his friends messing up and making his dad suspicious.

"You're talking about getting your hands on _the_ blade cup." He leveled a stern stare on the four ninja. "The most prized and heavily guarded award in _all_ of Ninjago." He jumps up on the bench across from them, using his movements to add emphasis to his words. "The symbol of excellence in harmony and grace. You can't just get it, you must _earn_ it. You have to exhibit style, perfect pitch, push the boundaries of artistic license, and win this year's Ninjago talent show!"

"Um… perhaps there's an easier way." Zane suggested, he, like two of the other three ninja, a little flabbergasted by the man's speech.

"Is this why you came?" the man asks suddenly, either too absorbed by his own monologue to hear Zane, or ignoring what he said entirely. "You knew I was injured, and when my quartet insisted we shan't go on, you four have come to take our place!" The man had a huge smile on his face, clearly exited. "Ingenious! My son bringing forth the next evolution of the Royal Blacksmiths! Let me hear the sweet, sweet sound of harmony…" He closed his eyes and held a hand to his ear, waiting for them to begin.

Kai elbowed Cole, trying to get him to say or do something, but the black ninja just shook his head. Jay, who had enjoyed the entire show Cole's dad just put on, took one look at the others, realized they weren't going to do anything anytime soon without an instigator, so he jumped up and started to sing. Zane quickly followed after, and Kai, taking a small moment to glance at the ninja of earth, followed suit. Cole could only face palm at the cringe worthy sound of them trying to harmonize.

Was it too late to go back to this morning and tell his friends that he'd go see his father alone?

"Look, Dad-" Cole rushed to speak before his father could comment on the performance, "We just need the trophy."

"Yeah." Kai cut in. "We're bringing home the gold and we want you to train us."

There's a second where the man's face stays blank, but then a smile breaks out and he stifles a happy laugh.

"I've never been more proud." He walks over to a sliding door and opens it, pausing to address the ninja. "If you'll excuse me, I need to write a song about my feelings."

There's silence as the door slides shut, then Cole turns to the other three, struggling not to yell.

"What are you _doing_?"

"Look, we enter his competition to get close enough to the blade cup. Once we get the fang blade we leave town." Kai assured him. "How hard can this be?"

* * *

"Alright," Lou sighed, stepping out from behind the piano and approaching the 'quartet'. "I think we've done enough for today, but I expect to see you all bright and early tomorrow morning for practice." They'd been practicing for a few hours now with little progress to show for it, and in that time Lou had assessed their strengths and weaknesses. As far as quartets went, they were amateurs, and the fact that they thought they had a chance at the blade cup was ridiculous. "Oh, and could I have a word with you alone, Cole?" Still, he was determined to prepare them as best he could for the competition.

His son paused, glancing at his friends who just shrugged in response and made their way out, leaving the father and son alone.

"Sure, Dad. What about?" strait to the point, then.

"As the leader of your group, it is your responsibility to think about what's best for the group."

"Right…" Cole just gave him a confused look.

"With enough work you just may have a shot at the blade cup, but there's something holding you back." He doesn't answer, just raise an eyebrow in question. "Your friend, Jay, dances like he has two left feet; I'm sure you noticed him stumbling during practice. It's amazing that he even got into the Marty Oppinhiemer School of performing arts to begin with, and if I had to guess, I believe it won't be long before he flunks out."

"He's just been having some trouble lately, that's _all_." The glare Cole gave his father was steely. "He'll be fine."

"This isn't about _you_ , Cole, this is about what's best for the _group_." He tried to reason with his fuming son. "Do you really think he can keep up?"

"Thanks for the advice." He huffed. "But trust me, I know my team. We could win that blade cup with one hand tied behind our backs!" and then he turned around and left.

Lou could only shake his head at his Son's naiveté. Maybe one day he'd understand that true stars weren't made through coddling, but through having to face up to their flaws.

Until then he'd just have to hope that their loss wouldn't hurt his Son's pride too badly…

 _Fin_


	16. Chapter 16

Chapter sixteen

"Welcome back." Nya greeted the ninja as they walked in. "How'd it go?"

"Augh…" Kai groaned. "I just want to take a shower and go to _bed_."

"I don't want to talk about it." Cole sighed, heading for the kitchen.

"I apologize, but I would like to meditate. Perhaps Jay would be willing to explain?"

"Uh, sure." Jay agreed, and Zane gave him a nod before leaving like the other ninja had.

"Okay, that was weird." Nya turned to Jay. "So I'm guessing it didn't go so well?"

"No, it went fine. We know where the blade cup is and we have a rough idea of how we're going to get it… it's just that that plan involves Cole's dad thinking we're a quartet and training us so that we can enter the competition, and he's worse than Sensei Wu was when he was training us."

"That does sound tough."

"Yeah… But, hey, after this is over maybe you and I could go dancing together sometime?" The blue ninja gave her his best charming smile, and Nya felt her heart sink.

"About that… I've been meaning to ask you something." The transition wasn't great, nor the timing, but after they revealed what they'd been working on all this time, she was starting to believe that Kai had been right… but she had to know for certain, and the only way she'd get the answer to her question was to ask.

"What is it?" Jay had no idea what she was going to ask, but it was obvious in her hesitant tone and actions that it wasn't good, and though he kept smiling, she was sure she saw a hint of nervousness in his eyes.

"Are you two dating?" She blurts out, much to the confusion of the blue ninja.

"You… Wait, _who_ do you think I'm dating?"

"Zane." There's a long moment in which Jay just stares at her, and she starts to fidget a bit, feeling foolish.

"What?"

"I thought you and Zane were secretly dating."

"I- what would give you that idea?" He was, understandably, bewildered by her admission.

"I overheard you two talking, and it just sounded like…" She trails off, shakes her head, and sighs. "But I guess I was wrong." The blue ninja doesn't answer, probably doesn't know how to respond, and she can sympathize; if she were in his shoes she wasn't sure she'd know how to respond to the person she liked claimed they thought she was dating one of her friends. Before the silence could drag on and become awkward, she made up her mind. She'd already dropped the ball, so why not tell him everything? It was better than leading him on and feeling like she was betraying him. "But it did make me think about my own feelings. You're a great friend, Jay, and I love to hang out with you…"

"You don't have to say it." Sometime during their conversation she had stopped being able to meet the lightning ninja's gaze, but his words, spoken softly, sadly, had startled her into locking gazes with him once more. "I understand." He was smiling sadly, but it didn't reach his eyes, and she felt a stab of pain in her heart.

"You aren't mad?" This boy had done his best for her, made her feel like she was important, and in turn she had used him to boost her own ego. Sure, it hadn't been a conscious decision at the time, but a part of her always knew that she didn't like him that way, and if she hadn't made that mistake she wasn't sure she would've ever thought twice about it.

"No, I'm not mad." He was confused and hurt that she'd think that of him. Maybe she had hoped that if he was the one to end things and move on she wouldn't feel so bad about that fact, and if he got mad at her now it'd be easier to just write off her own actions… but none of that had happened, and she found herself face to face with guilt.

"I'm sorry."

"It's alright." He was doing his best to put on a happy, casual façade for her sake, which was only making her feel even worse. "Oh, I just remembered there was something that I needed to get!" He turned to leave, obviously needing some time alone and knowing that he wouldn't get that on the ship.

She let out a breath she didn't notice she'd been holding a second after the door clicked shut. Maybe she should ask one of the other's to go talk to him?

'Yeah, and I'm sure they'll just go without asking me why.' She thought. 'There's no way I can tell them what happened…'

Jay was always the cheerful ninja, the one who kept everyone's spirits up; He'd bounce back, just like he always did, she assured herself.

* * *

 _He was in a museum, one made up of hallways instead of rooms, the displays pushed up against the walls with bronze plaques giving a date and a short description for each item. The place was empty save for the four ninja, their footsteps echoing in the long corridor._

 _Zane wanted to examine each piece, read their plaques and see what they were about, but the other three ninja showed no such interest, they just kept on walking at a steady pace. He didn't want to be left behind, so he followed along, doing his best to check out the displays as they passed them._

 _A small model of a monastery atop a tall mountain, four statues of dragons, each one carved from a different gemstone and inlaid with gold for added detail, an old painting depicting a man fighting his own shadow… They passed more and more items, each one giving him the feeling that he should know it, but without the time to stop and read the plaques he couldn't be sure._

 _Along with the items, they occasionally passed halls that split off from the main one, but these halls held no displays as far as he could see, and they just went on until they slowly faded into darkness. Zane wasn't sure what to make of them, but he decided to instead focus on figuring out the hallway they were walking down first, for it likely had the answer to what was down those dark halls._

 _Eventually they came across a piece that was not pushed against the wall, but stood proudly in the center, forcing him to go around one side while his friends went around the other. The display was a forest made up of scorched matchsticks, spun glass, and what looked like ash for snow. Halfway through the long display, he saw a hallway on his side of the display, and for a moment he thought of going down it, but quickly changed his mind._

 _He was glad when they reached the end of the display and he could rejoin his friends, but felt his breath catch in his throat when he saw the blue ninja stumble in front of one of the hallways, one with shadows that start just three inches in._

 _It felt like something was going to reach out from that darkness and pull his friend in, and shroud him in that impenetrable darkness so that they'd never see him again._

 _But he keeps walking, and they keep walking, although he's now a step or two behind them._

 _More displays pass, more hallways, too, and Zane is starting to notice that, unlike the others, the blue ninja has been watching the hallways as they pass, one by one, and slowly he's falling further and further behind without the other's noticing._

 _Zane wants to stop and let him catch up, but his feet won't stop moving forward, won't fall out of pace with the others, no matter how hard he struggles, and he finds himself unable to do anything as the blue ninja finally stops before one of those hallways, and takes a step in._

 _Their footsteps continue to echo as they keep walking at a steady pace._

 _fin_


	17. Chapter 17

Chapter seventeen

There was something entirely alienating about the city, Jay decided. A feeling of being alone while walking among hundreds of people, maybe even thousands, created by each one doing their best to pretend that those around them didn't exist.

It was like being invisible, which was a little odd. He'd grown up with familiar strangers all his life, people who'd at least smile and wave as you passed them by, and after becoming a ninja he'd gotten used to people staring and whispering about him, about all of them. It was uncanny how he could just change his clothes and become another person you'd pass on the street and not think twice about.

"Hey! Hey, wait up!" The girl's yelling broke the silence and had gotten the attention of several people, but her attention was solely focused on one person, her gaze locking with Jay's as he looked over. She hurried across the street and stood before him, looking him over with a critical eye. "I knew it, it _has_ to be you!"

Jay at first could only stare back in confusion at first, but slowly the pieces started to fall into place. The girl was petite with dark hair framing her face, she held herself proudly, as if she had power that commanded respect.

"You're… from the ball…"

"You actually remember me? Remember the ball?" She questioned, an amazed and excited smile on her face.

"I think so…" The memories were a little blurry now that he tried to recall them. "You're the girl I danced with, right?"

"I am." She confirmed with a nod. "Ah, sorry if I'm creeping you out or anything, I've just never met anyone alive before."

"Never?" He couldn't help but chuckle as he responded, gesturing to the flow of people around them.

"I _meant_ that I've never seen someone from over there alive, that's all." She rolled her eyes, but a small smile gave her away. "And I must say that you look good for someone who just had a near death experience."

"Gee, thanks." He said with his own roll of the eyes and a smile. "But, anyway, am I really the first person you've met from the ball?"

"It's not actually a ball, not usually, although sometimes-" She cut herself off, letting out a huff. "Actually, you've probably got a lot of questions and the answers aren't likely to be short, so why don't we talk about this over some food?"

It was getting close to dinner time, he'd already spent hours wandering the city, the others were bound to notice he was missing, they'd probably get worried if he didn't show up for dinner, but the thought of having to go back and face Nya…

'Metal can't feel pain.' He told himself. 'So that pain in your chest is only your imagination.'

"Sure. Do you know any good places around here?"

* * *

It was getting late when Zane stopped meditating. He knew was he had wanted to know, but it did nothing to ease his mind. Although his visions were always up for interpretation, he was certain that it was a warning, and he couldn't help but worry about Jay.

"Oh, you're finally awake!" Kai said jokingly. "Cole almost finished cooking, so we should probably set the table."

"Right, it is almost time for dinner."

"If you can even call it that." The fire ninja snorted.

"Do you know where Jay is?" Zane asked as he pulled down some plates.

"I haven't seen him since we got back." Kai shrugged, grabbing a stack of cups in one hand and the silverware in the other. "Why?"

"I am wo-"

"Kai, do you _want_ to break more dishes?" Nya asked in exasperation, taking the cups away from her brother.

"I was doing fine." He protested. "I wasn't going to drop them."

"Sure you weren't."

"Nya, have you seen Jay anywhere?" The white ninja interrupted the siblings bickering, the plates clinking gently as he set them down on the table.

"Hm? Oh, uh, no, I, uh, I haven't seen him." She said hurriedly, turning to put the cups down and wincing at the harsh clack they made.

"Are you sure?" Her answer wasn't convincing, but Zane wasn't sure why the question would make her nervous. "Weren't you the last person with him? Did he mention going anywhere?"

"Oh, uh, I think he was going to explore the city…?"

"Do you remember what time it was when he left?"

"Dude, you sound like a detective in a movie." Kai interjected. "Why're you so interested in what Jay's doing, anyway?"

"I have had a vi-"

"Come on, guys, I know that Dad's training can be tiring, but is it really too much effort to set the table?" Cole set what was probably soup on the table.

"Well it's a good thing we didn't." the fire ninja said while eyeing the pot. "Otherwise we'd have to gather the plates back up and get bowls instead."

"What are you talking about? I just made chicken and broccoli. We shouldn't need bowls."

"Well then what's that?"

"I figured it be easier if I just threw it all in the same pot; so what?"

Kai shook his head and turned to the ice ninja.

"I bet you Jay just wanted to avoid Cole's turn to cook dinner."

"At least I didn't drop it!"

"When are you guys going to let that go?!"

Zane sighed in frustration. The others weren't listening, and even if they were he wasn't sure if they'd just write it off as a bad dream or not. They weren't worried, and without their help it'd be pointless to search the city by himself. He could spend days searching and keep missing the blue ninja… even with the help of his falcon.

'I hope that they are right not to worry…' He thought as he resigned himself to waiting.

* * *

The girl had introduced herself simply as Colette, and he responded in kind, giving her his first name only. She had done her best to explain things, from the ball, which she had apparently thrown to 'liven things up', to the reason they were both there.

' _You didn't deny that you had a life or death experience at the time, right? Well, that's why most living people end up there, because there's a chance that they might… stay, so to speak'_

She also explained that she'd been able to go there since she was a young child, although it was usually not in her control and mostly happened when she slept.

' _But there was one time it happened when I was awake. According to my classmates I was acting like a zombie… But I got an 'A' on a math quiz, so I guess it wasn't that bad.'_

She explained how, though she often tried to encourage the living she encountered there to go back, she wasn't really sure if they ever did or not.

' _There are a lot of people, both here and there, so it's possible I'd never see the faces of anyone I'd helped my entire life… or see them as permanent residents there, either.'_

They continued to talk, mostly idle chatter, until they realized just how late it had gotten.

' _I'll walk you home.'_ Jay offered _._

' _You don't have to, it's a bit of a walk from here.'_

' _It's fine, I'd feel bad if I just let you walk home alone.'_

' _Alright then.'_

The Bounty was dark when Jay finally returned; not a single window was lit. He tried to make as little noise as possible as he entered, and was successful for the most part, aside from bashing his knee against a chair someone hadn't pushed in all the way.

'I guess they weren't worried after all…' Jay ignored the way his stomach twisted and headed back out onto the deck.

It was late, and he was tired, but he had to try.

"Ninja go!" For a brief moment a tornado of electricity appeared, illuminating the deck in flickering, pale blue light, only to vanish when its creator fell. Jay just lay there for a moment, shivering in the cool night air, then got up with a sigh.

After they'd attached the prosthetics he'd waited until after the others fell asleep every night and then came out to practice. Each and every time he failed, over and over. He couldn't use spinjitsu anymore, struggled with the obstacle course, barely managing to complete the lower difficulties, and now he couldn't dance without tripping over his own feet… It felt hopeless.

It felt hopeless, but each and every night he came back out. Maybe it was denial that caused him to keep trying, maybe it was the hope that the next night he'd see some progress, but whatever the case, whatever it was that kept him going just wasn't there tonight.

He turned to go to bed when a chirp caught his attention. He turned toward the sound to see Zane's falcon sitting on the railing of the ship, its head was cocked to the side as it watched him.

"Ah, I hadn't realized you were awake." He laughed nervously. "Or, did I wake you?"

The bird didn't answer, and Jay was sure that if anyone else saw him they would think he was crazy for trying to talk to a bird, but Jay figured that, since it was a robot, there was a chance that it understood him.

"Well, uh, sorry, I guess?" He apologized and turned to leave again, only to be stopped by a much louder chirp. "Not so loud, you might wake someone." Again it cocked its head at him. "Yeah, well, I don't want to wake anyone up. Then they'll ask why I'm out here and what I'm doing, or what I _was_ doing-" another chirp and a flap of the wings. "Whatever, I'm going to bed."

He gets the door open an inch before the falcon has swooped down to land on his arm and peck at his hand, forcing him to release the door.

"Ow, what the hell?!" He gives the falcon an angry glare as it flew around to land on his shoulder. It cocked its head to the side, it's face mere inches from Jay's. "Whoa, okay, could you back up?" The bird lifted one of its wings and held it up. After a few seconds Jay copied the falcon and it hopped down his shoulder and onto his arm. "Alright, that's better… now are you going to tell me what you want?" the bird looked up and to the left, and Jay followed its gaze. "The crow's nest?" Like any vessel that sailed the seas, the Bounty had a crow's nest, but with all the cameras he'd installed, and the fact that they were usually up in the sky looking down already, there didn't seem to be much point to it.

The falcon took off, flying up to perch on the crow's nest and look down at Jay, as if it was waiting for him to follow.

"Alright, _fine_." Jay's curiosity was peaked, so he carefully made his way up the rope ladder. "You know, if it turns out you're just trying to show off some kind of metal nest or something you caught-" He stops talking, baffled by the sight of Zane there, slumped against the side of the crow's nest, sleeping. He could've sworn he'd seen him inside with the others, but it didn't make sense for the white ninja to sneak out here, climb all the way to the crow's nest, and then instantly go to sleep. No, it was more likely that he'd been out here all along, and Jay had just been mistaken before.

For a small moment he was glad that the ice ninja was still sleeping, he couldn't see Jay mess up if he was asleep, but then he realized how cold it was out here.

"Hey, wake up." He gives Zane's shoulder a light shake, but he doesn't even stir. "You're gonna turn into a ninja-cicle if you stay out here!" another, harder shake, but still he didn't show any signs of waking up.

Zane was usually an early riser, so he wasn't sure if this was normal or because he was having a vision. Either way, it was apparent that he wouldn't be waking him up anytime soon.

'Maybe he's such a deep sleeper to make up for the time he loses by getting up so early.' He thought as he headed back towards the rope ladder.

"Don't worry," He assured the falcon, who was watching him leave with a cocked head. "I'm just going to get him a blanket, I'll be right back." He wasn't sure if the falcon resituating its wings was it agreeing or not, but it didn't move from its resting place, so it at least wasn't going to stop him.

Going up the ladder with a blanket over his shoulder was a bit harder than it was without it; he had to keep stopping to readjust it so it wouldn't fall, and then his foot ended up catching when he was climbing into the crow's nest, causing him to trip and fall in.

"You saw nothing." The falcon only stared back at him in response. "Good."

Certain that the falcon wasn't going to be saying anything to anyone about him falling, even if there was basically no chance of that happening anyway, he turned to put the blanket over the nindroid.

"There, that should be good." He turned to the falcon, who only shifted its wings again. "Yeah, it _is_ cold out…" And Zane had been out there for a while now, even if he was still wearing his hoodie. He put a hand against the white ninja's cheek, frowning when he felt how cold the other was.

"Should I try and wake him up again?" He turns to look at the falcon, but the bird isn't there anymore. It probably thought its job was done since its master had a blanket and left to do whatever it is that robotic falcons do.

Jay was reluctant to leave, though; Zane felt almost as cold as his element and it'd likely take a while before the blanket warmed him up, if it did at all. He'd feel terrible if he woke up next morning to find the ice ninja really _was_ ice… so what else could he do?

He'd already tried to wake the other up, more blankets likely wouldn't help much, and he wasn't even going to consider carrying him down; he'd probably kill them both attempting it.

After all that, the only option he could think of would be sharing body heat. It was a perfectly valid way to warm a person up, it was what they always did in the shows that he watched with- …And they all shared a room anyway, there wasn't any reason a blanket would be much different, aside from the fact that he'd be _right there_.

'Besides,' He assured himself and he scooted under the blanket and next to Zane. 'I'll just be staying until he warms up a bit. I'll be gone long before he wakes up.'

It wasn't long before his own exhaustion got the better of him and he fell asleep.

 _Fin_

* * *

 _Author's note: Whelp, seventeen chapters and I've finally decided to write my first author's note. First and foremost I'd like to start it off by thanking all you lovely readers and reviewers. Your positive reviews have meant a lot to me, this is the first multi-chapter fic I've posted and I honestly wasn't sure how it was going to go. So, once again, thanks for the reviews, they all left me smiling and actually a little eager to post the next chapter. Now for the reason I decided to add this note; I'm moving, so things are going to be a bit hectic for awhile. I hope to continue with my current posting schedule, but if things don't work out I might be posting them later then planned. Hopefully things will go well and I'll have both the time and the internet access to keep posting, though, as I would hate to slow down now!_

 _Not sure how to end this... guess I'll just say good luck and have a good day._

 _``/)/)_

 _C( 0w0)_

 _P.S. actually, I think this may be my first author's note ever... and its super wordy! lol_


	18. Chapter 18

Chapter eighteen

Zane woke slowly, his mind becoming more and more aware of his surroundings as he did; the light breeze on his face, the gentle sway of the ship, the pleasant warmth and weight at his side… Something was off, he groggily realized, and he struggled to shake off the last dregs of sleep as he forced his eyes open.

He was outside, in the crow's nest, it was early morning, there was a blanket pulled over him, and next to him was Jay, the source of the warmth and weight, sleeping peacefully.

Relief filled him the moment he saw the other ninja. His vision hadn't come true, the lightning ninja hadn't left, disappearing without Zane being able to say or do anything to stop him. He had tried to stay up and wait for the blue ninja to return, reasoning that he didn't have anything with him and he would probably want to return for them before leaving, but eventually he couldn't keep his eyes open any longer and he must have fallen asleep.

He debated about waking the ninja of lightning up or not. They had to be ready in a few hours, but he had noticed that Jay had been having trouble sleeping recently, so perhaps a bit more sleep would do him some good. Although he didn't think the crow's nest was the best place to sleep, the hard wood was less than ideal bedding, he didn't want to risk waking him up by trying to move him.

Carefully he readjusted the blanket to cover Jay more than himself and shifted his arm around the blue ninja's shoulders. There would still be plenty of time left to get ready if he waited an hour or two, he reasoned, so there was no need to rush…

* * *

Cole had stayed up late thinking and preparing himself for the next day. The training would be hard, his father had proved that hadn't changed since his childhood, but he wasn't worried about that. What was weighing on his mind was what his father had said. It had been harsh, Cole didn't like it, but there was a truth in his words that the ninja of earth couldn't ignore.

Jay was struggling; he was tripping, dropping things, and just all around seemed to lack the grace that the ninja had all learned while training, and Cole couldn't help but wonder why it was that he hadn't seen him training lately. After such a long downtime he found it hard to believe that the ninja of lightning wouldn't want to train… But he was still recovering, it wasn't fair to assume he'd be able to jump right into battle as soon as he was on his feet.

The ninja of earth had a hard decision to make, one that he knew the others wouldn't like. He would give it until the end of their next training session, just in case he was wrong, and then he'd decide.

"You're late." Cole is reminded once again that no amount of preparation can ever prepare you for the real thing when his father opens the door to greet them that morning.

"What? It's only seven!" Kai complains.

"And you'd have had two more hours to train if you had been here at five." He admonishes them with a glare. "Come on, we've already wasted enough time as it is!" He hurries to usher them in and to the dance room. As they practice Cole makes sure to keep an eye on Jay, watches him stumble and fall trying a move he wouldn't think the other would have much trouble with.

There was no doubt about what he had to do, his mind was made up. He just hoped that Jay wouldn't hate him too much for it later.

* * *

Jay had been surprised when Cole's father allowed them a short break around midday, he'd thought the man would be the type to insist they skip lunch in order to get more training. The shock of that is easily replaced by anxiety when Cole stops them in the hall and says.

"Guys, I think we need to talk." He sounds serious, like when they discussed battle tactics.

"What, like a meeting?" Kai asked, getting only a nod as confirmation. "Can't we talk over lunch? I can't be the only one who's starving after that workout."

"I'd rather this conversation be private." It's left unsaid that, whether they stayed here or returned to the bounty, their conversation wouldn't just be between the four of them. "And I don't think this can wait, either."

"What is it that you want to talk to us about?" Zane asked, his eyebrows furrowed in what Jay assumed was concentration.

"Well," Cole takes a breath, squares his shoulders, then turns to face the blue ninja. "Jay, I think you should sit this one out."

"What…?" It takes a few seconds for the words to sink in and when they do his anxiety turns to fear, which causes him to react with anger. " _Why?_ "

"You've been struggling to keep up-"

"Uh, if you haven't noticed, your dad is kind of a slave driver!"

"Yeah," Kai agrees. "I've been having trouble, too. Maybe you could tell your dad to lighten up a bit?"

"That isn't it." The black ninja sighs in aggravation. "What if something goes wrong?"

"Like what?" The ninja of lightning scoffs. "Our _clothes_ don't match?"

"This isn't _just_ about the dance competition, Jay." Cole ground out, clearly starting to lose his patience. "What if the serpentine show up? We can't just assume they won't be after the fang blade as well."

"Then we'll just take them out like we always do!"

"Can you even _do_ spinjistu anymore?!" The question takes the words from the blue ninja's mouth, he couldn't just lie about something so important, but he didn't want to admit it, either. Unfortunately, his silence was answer enough.

"I… Cole's right." Kai admitted, still a little shocked by the realization. "I mean, the serpentine aren't going to ask nicely for the fang blade, and if you can't do spinjistu…"

One by one he met their eyes, from Cole's determined to Zane's unreadable, and he knew there was no point in arguing. Their minds were made up and there was no changing it.

" _Fine._ " He huffs, spins on heel and makes for the door. He clings to the anger, closing the door with a heavy _thunk_ behind him, and starts off in a random direction down the street. It was over, he couldn't be a ninja anymore, so there was no point in returning to the Bounty.

Distantly he hears a loud slam, then turns in time to see Zane running down the street towards him.

"Don't go." The ninja of ice says as he comes to a stop before the blue ninja.

"Were you even listening to the conversation just now?" He nearly sneers at the other.

"I was, but that is not what I am referring to." The nindroid's answer confuses him, causing him to forget his anger for a moment.

"Then… what?"

"The team. I do not want you to leave the team, Jay."

"I _thought_ you said you were listening." He laughs bitterly. "I'm _pathetic_! I can't fight, I can't do spinjitsu, and I can't even dance! So what's the point?!"

"You're a valued member of our team-" He can't help but scoff at the other's words, and he notices the nindroid's eyes narrow a bit in response. "And I believe you are being far too hard on yourself."

"Oh _really_?" It's sarcastic, and he knows that he's just trying to start a fight, but he doesn't care at the moment. He just wants to leave, and he had the feeling that Zane wouldn't let him if he tried.

" _Yes_ , you are." His tone is hard, the closest he's ever heard the normally cool headed ninja come to sounding confrontational. "We are all worried about you; we do not want you to risk further injury by going out into the field unprepared."

"Well you can stop worrying," He takes a step forward, into the other's personal space. "Because I _quit_."

"You just need to be patient-"

"I _tried_!" His voice cracks a bit and he knows he's starting to lose it, that the anger he'd been holding onto is slipping. "I tried so _hard_ and it got me nowhere… So I'm done."

"Did you become a master of spinjistu the first time you tried?"

"What does that-"

" _Did you become a master of spinjistu the first time you tried?_ "

"N-no…"

"Then is it truly fair to assume that you would be able to do so now?"

"I-…" He was faltering, his throat felt tight and his vision was starting to blur with tears. "What if I can never do spinjistu again?!"

"You _will_." Zane's gaze softened. "I believe in you."

"You can't _know_ …" No matter how much he tried to blink them away or wipe them away the tears just kept coming, and he started to take a step back, intending to run, when a pair of strong arms pulled him forward and into a warm embrace.

"I understand if you cannot believe in yourself right now, and I will not ask you to…" He pulled back enough to meet the other's eyes. "All I ask is that you trust me."

"I…"

" _Please_ , Jay."

"Alright." The blue ninja attempts to dry his eyes with already wet sleeves, then holds out his pinky out to the other. "I promise I won't leave, but y-you have to promise not to leave, either." The white ninja looked at the outstretched appendage in confusion, so Jay decided to clarify. "It's a pinky promise; you're supposed to link your pinkies together. It kind of a way to seal the deal…"

"I see." He mimicked the motion, linking their pinkies. "Then I promise that I will not leave." He couldn't help but laugh a bit at how serious the white ninja sounded about the promise, and although the other didn't seem to know what was so funny, he smiled right back.

 _fin_


	19. Chapter 19

Chapter nineteen

Sometimes Jay wished that he could just turn his mind off, stop the endless flow of thoughts that just wouldn't leave him be and, on more than one occasion, messed with his sleeping habits. He couldn't stop thinking about everything that had happened, and it was driving him up the wall with the variety of complicated emotions it brought up.

The easiest one to figure out was embarrassment; after he'd made that promise to Zane the others quickly spoke up, shocked over what they'd heard and agreeing with the white ninja whole heartedly, and while he was touched by the sentiment, he'd broken down in front of not just one of them, but _all_ of them.

Then, of course, he thought of the promise he'd made to the ninja of ice, and he wasn't quite sure how to place what he felt when he thought back on it. His face would warm, his stomach would twist and there was this sort of ache in his chest. Anxiety, he figured, over not wanting to disappoint the white ninja…

And finally there was the conversation they'd had over dinner. Cole's dad thought his son was part of a quartet, which meant that there had to be _four_ members. The others were adamant that he wasn't going anywhere near the field until they thought he was ready, so that left them short a member. They were short on time, with only three days left until the competition, and, even if they had the time, they weren't just going to risk involving a civilian. The solution was obvious; Nya knew how to fight, knew what they were after, and probably wasn't any worse than Kai was, dancing wise.

Things had quickly become awkward between him and Nya, she had avoided him when he'd returned early, and the sting of rejection still felt too fresh for him to want to spend any time around her, either, but this newest turn of events brought back to mind the darker thoughts he'd had of her replacing him.

He didn't like it. He didn't want to hate her, or for them to end up acting like the other didn't exist… She was, after all, the first person that he really felt a connection with at the temple, and although they didn't work as a couple, he hoped they could still be friends once everything was over.

'Which means,' He thinks with a sigh. 'I need to hurry up and relearn spinjitsu.' Because he was sure that the stupid jealousy wasn't going to leave until he was back on the team, that the anxiety he felt wasn't going to go away until he proved Zane right, and, well, the embarrassment would probably _never_ go away completely, but he'd be able to move on once he was back on the team with the others again.

Now he just needed to force his brain to stop thinking long enough to allow him a decent night's sleep…

* * *

There was no way he was getting any sleep tonight, Cole realized, between the coffee and his nerves he'd probably be up all night. It was too late to be having coffee, he knew, especially since his sweet tooth wouldn't allow him to put anything less than four spoonful's of sugar in it, but it was something of a comfort to him. Reminded him of a time long ago, when his father would laugh at his attempts to drink it black in an effort to imitate him, before he became more focused on forcing him to be what he'd wanted him to be.

Right now he needed that little bit of comfort, as he felt horrible. He was so caught up in everything, returning home and facing his father, that he allowed himself to forget his teammates. If Zane hadn't realized what was happening then Jay likely would've left, and he wouldn't even realize until the blue ninja didn't return the next day, or maybe even later. Would it have gotten that far if he'd listened to the others and made sure that he was there for them to talk to if they needed it? Either Jay or Zane could have said something to him, but they didn't, and that said enough about him as a leader.

'Next time,' He assures himself, taking a gulp of his sugary drink. 'I'll make sure I do better.'

* * *

Kai could probably write a whole book about how covering your face with a pillow didn't help you fall asleep at all, it just made breathing slightly harder. His frustration wouldn't let him lie still, he was too tired to just get up and try to blow off some steam by exercising, and he felt horrible for generally being a bad friend.

He never liked to stand on the sidelines or not being able to do anything, especially when there was something he could have done to help. Thinking back, he realized that he'd accidentally blown off Zane when he had been trying to tell him about a vision he'd had, and the ninja of fire was _certain_ that it had something to do with what had happened today.

He rolls from one side to the other, fluffs his pillow, and then finally tosses his blanket aside with a huff, giving up on trying to fall asleep. Maybe it wouldn't kill him if he tried to train a little bit…

'Besides,' He thought as he slipped out into the hall. 'When I'm the green ninja I'll be training even harder, so I might as well get used to it now.'

The ninja of fire was the kind of person who usually lived in the moment, hardly planning out or thinking his actions through. He didn't like to let himself linger on his mistakes for long, preferring instead to do something productive, or at least distracting, and if practice ended up being hell tomorrow, well, he'd deal with that when it became an issue.

* * *

 _Zane was surprised when he found himself in the museum once again. Why was he back here? Hadn't he already changed what happened? Was… was Jay still thinking of leaving?_

' _No.' He thought determinedly. 'Jay promised he wouldn't, and I trust him. There must be another reason for why I am seeing this.'_

 _He did his best to examine the displays as they passed them, from the ones he'd seen before to the ones he'd missed, but without the time to read the plaques he couldn't say for certain what they meant._

 _Two pictures of the same man, hung side by side, one where he appears to be crying and the other he seems to be laughing. A picture of a big group of people, each of their faces blacked out and a different colored symbol put in its place. A Display showing a handwritten letter... one by one they passed them without stopping, and each time Zane was starting to become more and more worried until, finally, they came to the point where Jay paused in front of the hall._

 _This time he forced himself to stop, to turn back and call out to the other ninja. The blue ninja hesitated, Zane called out once again, and finally the other turned toward him and started walking. The ninja of ice breathed a sigh of relief as they started to walk together, he felt much lighter than before, oddly enough, almost as if a weight had lifted off his chest._

 _He was about to go back to checking the displays when a warm hand grabs his, interlacing their fingers, and just as he's about to look over-_

"Geez, why're you all still sleeping?!" Nya's voice woke him up.

 _fin_


	20. Chapter 20

Chapter twenty

In the days leading to the competition Jay found himself settling into a routine of sorts. After the others would leave for the morning he'd spend some time writing poetry, which he would then either toss or hide for various reasons. He never really thought what he wrote was any good to begin with, and now that his writing was either what you'd expect from a toddler or almost entirely illegible depending on which hand he was writing with, he had had absolutely no intentions of ever letting what he wrote see the light of day. Then he'd train until lunch, taking a break so that he could cook something for himself, which he was glad to find wasn't as difficult as writing was, although he _had_ come close to cutting himself a few times, what he made was as good as it usually was. And then it was back to training until the others got back.

His progress was frustratingly slow, on all fronts, but it _was_ there. He couldn't count the number of times his impatience got to him and he found himself doubting that he could do it, only to remember his promise to the white ninja, and he'd force himself to keep at it. It was thanks to that he had managed to get as far as he had, and he found it a bit easier to believe that he'd be able to regain the ground he'd lost and reclaim his spot as one of the four elemental ninja.

Still, just because there was hope didn't mean he didn't still have doubts. Just how far behind was he compared to the others now? Would be able to achieve his true potential? Was it even possible for him to achieve his full potential as he was now? They were easier to ignore now, between the stupid poetry that maybe he should burn, just to be certain no one would see it, and the help and encouragement his friends offered, he felt he was getting ahold of those darker thoughts. He'd even managed to get a decent amount of sleep, too, although perhaps his definition of 'decent amount' didn't exactly coincide with what people usually defined it as.

Now, though, that routine was going to change. Today was the day of the competition and once that was done they wouldn't be gone for most of the day, so things were _bound_ to change. The others left the same time as they usually did even though the competition wasn't until late afternoon. There were some last minute details to take care of, apparently, so they wouldn't be getting a break until after the show.

He considered going to watch them perform, it was better than staying here and pacing all day because he couldn't sit still or focus on training, but he decided against it. There was no way of knowing just how far or how much chaos, if any at all, there would be, and he didn't think the others would be too happy to find out he'd put himself in harm's way. He'd have to settle for waiting out the clock and going to head down after the competition was meant to end.

Finding ways to bide his time was hard; he tried writing, tried to cook something, he tried to practice, and he even tried to work on his inventions, all to no avail. He kept bouncing back and forth between tasks, unable to settle, until finally he somehow managed to waste enough time. It took some effort to keep himself from walking too fast, the walk would help kill a bit more time and he really didn't have any reason to get there sooner.

The building came into view slowly, but he found himself speeding up a bit at the sight of the crowd of stragglers outside the place. When he got close enough he could hear the low murmurs, whispers of ' _Were those serpentine_?' and ' _Was that part of the show_?' were passed between people too curious for their own good.

'If they were really worried about a serpentine attack, then they wouldn't be hanging around.' He reasoned. 'But I doubt things went smoothly.' He quickly made his way through the crowd and into the building, made a B-line for the backstage only to be stopped by a bouncer.

"Name?"

"Jay Walker." He answered automatically, then realized his mistake when the man checked his clipboard.

"You're not on the list of approved performers."

"I know, but, listen, I know some of the people who _are_ and they asked me to bring them something. So if you could just let me in-"

"Which group?"

"The group…" Why hadn't he thought to ask what they were going to be calling themselves? Now the man was probably going to assume he was just some fan or something trying to get backstage and he'd either have to try sneaking in, a task he would be much more confident about if he wasn't still a bit clumsy on his feet, or wait until the others came out, which he didn't have any more patience for.

"Jay?" He and the bouncer both turned to look at the new voice, a petite young girl with dark hair framing her face.

"Colette!" He couldn't help the bright smile on his face when he recognized her, although he kept the cheering to his mind. "Hey, I brought what you asked for, but the bouncer won't let me in…" There were a few seconds of silence, and for a moment Jay thought the girl would call him out on his lie, but she eventually she nodded and gave him a grumpy look.

"Geez, it took you long enough!" She played spoiled actress well, sighing and giving the bouncer a look that made her seem _much_ more intimidating. " _Well_?"

"R-right!" The man, who was almost a foot taller than her and probably had over a hundred pounds on her, practically squeaked. "Go on."

He couldn't help but smirk at the man as he walked by, before Colette leveled that stare on him and he felt a chill go down his spine. Where did she learn how to do that? He'd have to ask sometime…

"Come on, you've wasted enough time already."

"Yes, Ma'am."

She led them further backstage, where the bouncer couldn't hear or see them, then dropped her chilly expression for one much warmer.

"Figures he'd only do his job when it didn't matter…"

"I'm guessing I'm not the first person to try and get backstage?" She shook her head, confirming his assumption. "What happened?"

" _Apparently_ a serpentine managed to replace one of the judges, some _other_ serpentine somehow joined the competition and attempted to make the audience go deaf by singing horribly off key, and, finally, they _actually attacked_ one of the acts, although I think that kinda back fired, since they ended up winning." She shrugged, sighing. "Anyway, why're you here?"

"Well, my friends are one of the acts-" He paused, realizing something. "Wait, what're you doing here?"

"You mean aside from trying to win a competition?" She asked sarcastically. "I was hoping to meet someone, but I guess it's just my luck that he didn't compete… Anyway, you were looking for your friends, right? I could help you find them. What're they called?"

" _Yeah_ … I don't actually know that, but I do know that they're a quartet." He gives her a bashful smile.

"…You mean the quartet that took the place of the Royal Blacksmiths this year?"

"That's them." He said slowly, a little thrown by her sudden seriousness. "How'd you know? I didn't give you the most descriptive…, uh, description."

"They were the only Quartet to enter this year." Well, that would explain that. "So, um, look, I know we don't know each other very well, but-"

"Jay?" For the second time today someone called his name out in surprise, only this time a group of five people walked over. "What are you doing here?" It was Kai who asked, sounding a bit miffed.

"Oh, well," He glanced over at Cole's dad, who was watching them curiously. "I, uh, wanted to... see my old teammates?"

"He knows, Jay, you don't have to lie." Cole said with mild exasperation. "What're you doing here?"

"Wait, really? You made _such_ a big fuss about him not knowing before and now it's just a casual 'he knows'?" He gave the ninja of earth a look of disbelief. "Sorry, but you're going to have to explain in a bit more detail than that."

"We will explain later," Zane promised. "But right now we would all like to know why you are here, and who your companion is."

"Right…" The blue ninja turned to the petite girl as if he'd forgotten she was there. "Sorry, this is Colette. Colette, these are the friends I mentioned. Kai, Cole, Zane, and Nya." He quickly introduced them. "Oh, and that's-"

"Lou Beckett, from the Royal Blacksmiths, right?" She cut in.

"It's always nice to meet a fan." The man says happily, adjusting his suit a bit.

"I'm sorry," She says hurriedly. "I hope you will forgive my lack of tact, but I'm not sure how else to say this. I'm the daughter of your ex, and I was hoping that you could help me meet my half-brother." Stunned silence fell over the group in the wake of her admission.

"Well, I did _not_ see that coming." Jay says with a nervous laugh, trying to defuse the tension. "You know, this could be a scene right out of a soap opera, and now would probably be the point where they'd cut to commercial so that you'd have to wait to see how everyone reacts, and-"

"Jay?" Cole interrupts.

"What?"

"Could you not?" He just gave the leader a shrug and an apologetic grin in response. "Look, I think we all have a lot we need to talk about, so why don't we take this someplace where we can all sit down?"

"That is probably for the best." Mr. Beckett agrees, and, with no complaints from the others, they soon found themselves heading for the man's home.

 _fin_


	21. Chapter 21

Chapter twenty one

Very few situations could render Jay truly speechless; in fact he reacted to most shocking events by babbling, something he was sure his teammates would attest to with, hopefully fond, exasperation. That being said, he had encountered three situations that had left him speechless within the space of the last seventy four hours. It had started with a simple question…

' _How do you two know each other, anyway?'_ Cole had asked between sips of tea. The conversation had been mostly focused on him and his half-sister, of his life as a ninja and her search to find her half-brother, it was the offhand comment that she was certain that she wouldn't have met them today if it wasn't for the ninja of lightning that had prompted the question.

' _Well…_ ' He glanced over at Colette, who met his gaze squarely with a calm, questioning look. She had left what they said up to him, though he hadn't been sure what he should say, or even how to start. _'We kind of… met at a ball?'_ The answer came out more like a question and raised more than a few eyebrows at the table.

' _And just_ _ **when**_ _did you go to a ball?_ ' Kai had asked with a disbelieving scoff.

' _It was fairly recent, actually…'_ He took a slow sip of his tea to put off what he's going to say next just a little bit longer. There wasn't much point to their knowing, to dredging up memories that had barely had time to settle… but he didn't see any way of avoiding it that didn't involve an outright lie, and after everything that'd happened he didn't want to lie to the others. _'And I was_ _ **kind of**_ _unconscious at the time.'_

' _How did you attend a ball if you were unconscious?'_ Zane had asked, eyebrows furrowed in confusion. _'Unless you were sleepwalking, which I find unlikely, as you have shown no previous inclination towards such behavior.'_

' _No, I wasn't sleepwalking._ ' He confirmed with a smile. There was something about how analytical the nindroid could be at times that had always made talking to him an… _interesting_ experience; he remembered time and again, back when they'd first met, that he'd tried to explain a joke he'd made only to get frustrated when the nindroid would insist that it didn't make sense. Maybe it was because it seemed so normal, like any other conversation they would have, but something about the question had made the next bit easier to say. _'Technically I was dead at the time…'_ The air seemed to be sucked out of the room as he spoke, each of his friends taking on a grim expression as they realized just _what_ he was referring to. _'Or, not_ _ **dead**_ _-dead, I guess? I mean,_ _ **obviously**_ _I was still alive or I wouldn't have been able to come back- I mean, I_ _ **think**_ _that's how it works… Maybe you should explain it.'_

' _Oh? But you were doing a_ _ **wonderful**_ _job.'_ Colette chuckled. ' _Very descriptive._ '

' _Yeah,_ _ **sure**_ _.'_ He shot back, rolling his eyes.

She gave them the same rundown on her powers that she'd given him and, surprisingly, the first person to speak after she'd finished explaining wasn't any of the ninja, but Mr. Beckett.

' _I see… I must apologize, then._ ' He set his tea down on the table, the porcelain making a faint clack as it met the glass top table. He goes on to explain the conversation he'd had with Cole and how he'd over heard them fighting and had assumed it was just the usual fallout from someone being kicked out. ' _I asked you to do what my group would not-, no, what I asked was worse than just performing without an injured member! I am truly sorry… I hope you all can forgive me.'_

The room was silent after he'd spoken, and as much as Jay had wanted to break the tension with a joke or something his wit had abandoned him in that moment, leaving him speechless. If anyone asked he would tell them he was just surprised that the strict man had apologized so sincerely, and in a way that _was_ a part of it, but that wasn't the sole reason... Mostly he found himself shocked by how easy it was for those darker feelings to crop back up, for the irrational anger and resentment to take a hold of his thoughts once again, very nearly causing him to refuse the man's apology outright.

' _It's not like you could have known, Dad.'_ Cole had reassured his father, and it felt like he'd lost all the progress he'd made in that instance, as if this had been a test and he had somehow failed. He forced himself to act as normally as he could afterward, doing his best to shake those thoughts and feelings off, berating himself for letting it get the better of him once again.

If the others noticed his slipup, they hadn't said anything about it… at least not where he could hear them.

* * *

Maybe it was because they'd talked about it, maybe it was due to his perceived failure, or maybe he'd just been mistaken to assume they'd stopped just because he hadn't had one in a while, but that night he'd had one of the worst nightmares he'd had since this all began. It had been so vivid, the chill in the air, the way the snow glittered when the sun hit it just right, the way he could see his breath as it was being forced out of his lungs, the way the snow crunched underfoot, the snapping of bones, the flashes of color, bright red on white, and the _searing pain_ \- Somehow he managed to get to the bathroom before his stomach tried to empty itself of everything he'd ever eaten.

Distantly he realized that he must have woken one of the others when he heard footsteps coming up behind him.

' _Are you alright?'_ Zane asked, setting a comforting hand on the blue ninja's back.

' _I'm… fine…'_ Jay replied between measured breaths. _'It's not… like… I_ _ **need**_ _… to breathe… or anything…'_

' _That's good.'_ The answer was unexpected, and he couldn't help but raise an eyebrow at the ninja of ice in lieu of a spoken question. _'You_ _ **are**_ _the blue ninja, after all.'_

' _What…?'_ It took him a second to realize what Zane meant, and when he did he ended up laughing from the sheer audacity of it. _'Seriously?_ _ **That's**_ _what you're going with? That was a_ _ **terrible**_ _pun.'_

' _Perhaps.'_ He admitted with a shrug, a small smile lighting up his face. _'Feeling better?'_

' _Uh, y-yeah…'_ He was keenly aware of how he must have looked; face red, nose running, hair a mess and clothes rumpled from having tossed and turned all night. In comparison Zane looked great; clothes as pristine as when he'd first put them on, not a hair out of place… he didn't even look tired, despite having been woken up in the middle of the night.

Quickly he flushed the toilet and moved to rinse his mouth out, trying to subtly smooth out his clothes and comb his fingers through his hair. At the time he wasn't sure why he cared, it was just the two of them, after all, and it wasn't like the other hadn't seen him looking much worse… flashes of the dream came to mind and he felt his stomach lurch once again.

' _Why don't we have some tea?'_ Zane offered, scarcely giving the blue ninja a moment to think it over before he added. _'It might help to settle your stomach.'_

Although he had his doubts Jay found himself agreeing. They made the walk to the kitchen in silence, neither speaking even as the pot was filled and placed on the stove to heat. While it did feel a touch heavy, it wasn't an uncomfortable silence; perhaps the weight had more to do with what the two were thinking about more than anything.

' _Hey, Zane?'_ He started hesitantly, drawing the other's attention away from the cabinet full of different boxes of tea. _'…Thanks. For everything, I mean. You've been such a big help this whole time... I just- I'm honestly not sure where I'd be if it weren't for you, so I just wanted to say thanks. '_

' _I am glad I could help.'_ Zane answered, his happy smile slowly giving way to a troubled frown. _'…but I do not feel like I can accept your gratitude. Not when I should have been there, fighting alongside you all.'_

' _I… what are you talking about?'_ Distantly he remembers the temperature in the room dropped a bit as the nindroid clenched his fists, guilt clear in his eyes while he seemed to fight to keep a calm façade. _'Do you... do you blame yourself for what happened?'_

' _I care about you, Jay; we all do.'_ He wasn't sure why his stomach did an odd twist, or why it turned to disappointment, he pushed that all aside to focus solely on the person before him. _'But when you needed me I wasn't there, and because of that… because of that you're suffering.'_

' _You'd_ _ **just**_ _found out you were a nindroid-'_

' _That's no reason to turn my back on my friends like I did!'_

' _Zane, there's-'_ no way you could have known, he almost said, but bit his tongue when he remembered just how he'd felt when Cole had said those same words to his father. _'Do you really want to know what you're responsible for?'_ The nindroid didn't answer, but his eyes were unguarded, completely vulnerable in a way the blue ninja had never seen before. Whatever he said next, be it good or bad, he knew the ninja of ice would take it to heart. _'You're the reason that I'm literally standing here right now. You went out of your way to make me feel better when I was in the hospital, even showing me your own blueprints. If you hadn't shown them to me, I never would have had the idea to use them to make prosthetics, and then you went through all the trouble of making them and even kept it a secret from the others, too.'_ He took a step closer to the other, reached out and grabbed one of his shaking hands, ignoring the chill that permeated out from it, gently uncurled his fingers and then linked their pinkies together. ' _And when I needed a friend the most,_ _ **you**_ _were there. Honestly, nothing else matters.'_

' _But…'_ Zane said quietly, ducking his head to hide the tears that were threatening to fall.

' _No.'_ Jay said as sternly as he could and pulled the white ninja in for a hug, one that almost had him shivering from the chill the other was giving off. _'No buts, and no more what ifs.'_ There was a lot more he wanted to say, thoughts and feelings that he found trouble putting into words no matter how he tried. So instead of trying to force the words he tried to pour every ounce of feeling he could into the hug and willed the nindroid to understand somehow.

' _Thank you…'_ Zane said softly, pulling away just enough to give the ninja of lightning a small smile.

' _Don't mention it.'_ He replied in an equally soft tone, giving the nindroid a small smile of his own.

He wasn't sure how long they stood there, caught up in the moment, and Jay could swear he felt a pull, like some invisible force trying to draw him closer to the other. It was then that the realization struck him, that he felt something more than friendship for the ninja of ice, which left him speechless.

' _Jay?'_ Zane asked curiously, as if sensing the change in the atmosphere. He had no idea how to respond, what would he normally say? What would he normally do? He wasn't sure and that was just making it worse. _'Is everything al-'_ the tea pot let out a loud whistle then, catching them both off guard.

' _The water's ready.'_ Jay stated the obvious, quickly stepping back to turn the heat off and stop the pot from whistling. _'So what kind of tea did you want?'_

He had done his best to act normal from then on, but if the curious glances the other kept throwing him over his cup and subtle queries were any indication he hadn't done a very good job.

* * *

While there had been many surprising events the next day, Sensei Wu returning with his brother, Lord Garmadon, being the main attraction with sideshows of Kai being overly suspicious of the evil lord and said lord being about the worst guest you could imagine, nothing had left him speechless. Even Sensei Wu telling them they were to treat his brother as a guest hadn't left him speechless. It was quite the opposite, really, he'd had a lot to say not even counting the fact that he decided to take it upon himself to inform their sensei of everything that had happened in his absence.

It was an interesting conversation to have, explaining that, not only was Zane a nindroid, but Jay himself was now technically a cyborg, a fact he hadn't truly considered before, and something that almost seemed to elude their teacher's understanding. He tried his best to explain it in a way that someone who didn't care much for technology could understand, but he'd almost always got a little carried away when it came to anything electronic.

' _It is unfortunate that such a thing has happened…'_ The man said slowly, quite obviously choosing his words carefully. _'But I am glad to hear that you have not let it get the better of you.'_ And that was all he seemed to have to say on the matter, although he might've just been trying to avoid listening to anymore techno-babble.

So he had a day, a whole day in which he had assumed nothing else was going to surprise him. Things hadn't quite gone back to normal, he still had to practice so that he could regain the ground he'd lost, Kai was practically stalking the evil lord, not trusting the man to be out of his sight for more than a few minutes, Cole was trying to plot out their best course of action, and Zane, well, he wasn't sure where the nindroid had gone off to. Much like their sensei, the white ninja had a way of appearing and disappearing when he felt like it.

He briefly considered checking the crow's nest to see if that was actually where the ninja of ice went to hide, but decided that if the other wanted some solitude then he'd let him have it. There would be plenty of time to talk later, and he still hadn't quite figured out how to act around the other. That and his determination to be ready when they went to go rescue Lloyd was the reason he chose to focus on his training.

' _If you keep fighting yourself, you're not going to make any_ _ **real**_ _progress.'_ He didn't even hear the evil lord's approach and so when the man spoke it took the blue ninja by surprise, distracting him just long enough to get knocked down by one of the training machines.

Two hands gripped his left arm, two _right_ hands to be specific, and helped him back onto his feet. He pulls away from the grip, stumbling in his rush to put some distance between them. It'd be a lie to say that he wasn't even a little bit scared of Lord Garmadon… He was like something right out of a nightmare; Skin burned black, ribs exposed to the open air, eyes a deep red like blood, and now with an elongated back to help make room for the second pair of arms. That paired with his keen intellect and strong will made the man a very dangerous foe, at least in Jay's opinion.

' _I'm not sure what_ _ **you**_ _were watching, but_ _ **I**_ _was fighting the_ _ **training dummy**_ _.'_ He wasn't going to let his fear of the other show, it'd just be another weakness he would exploit.

' _I see you're just as foolish as the rest of your group.'_ The man gave him an unimpressed look, one that put the blue ninja on graurd, how could Kai stand up to this man as if it were _nothing_? Even Sensei Wu couldn't defeat him on his own, just banish him, and that hadn't exactly stopped the evil lord. _'I am merely trying to help you.'_

' _Help me? You? And just why do you think I'd believe that?'_ Jay scoffed, all while trying to figure out the best way to get past him and to the door. It didn't seem safe to be alone with the other, for all he knew the man was planning to stab him in the back the moment he turned around, or maybe he'd simply fight him. With his current situation he didn't think he'd last that long in a fight, even if his friend's heard and came rushing to his aid, they probably wouldn't get there before he ended up with a serious injury at least. _'After everything you've done-'_

' _Because this isn't about you or me.'_ Garmadon said lowly, obviously already annoyed with the conversation. _'This is about rescuing my son.'_

' _Even if it means that you'll have one more person trying to stop you?'_ Jay asked before he could stop and think about it. The man had a very serious look on his face, one that he had never seen before. Usually he was gloating about how much better he was then them, or smirking as he annoyed the ninja.

' _I don't care if I have to create an army that would turn against me, so long as my son is safe.'_ It was impossible not to believe the lord. Jay couldn't find a single hint of deceit in the other's face, just a cold determination that seemed to promise a painful end to whoever had taken his son.

' _And just what would you know about this, anyway…?'_ The ninja of lightning asked slowly, understanding that, though it might not last, there was a sort of truce in place. He could trust the evil lord so long as their goal was the same.

' _I understand how…_ _ **difficult**_ _… it can be to adjust to a new limb or two.'_ The Lord held his four arms out for a moment to help make his point before lowering them back to his side. _'So long as you fail to accept them as a part of yourself, you will never be able to fight as you did before.'_

He wanted to argue, to say that he _did_ consider them his, but he was struck silent, speechless as his mind quickly processed the words. Was Garmadon right? Was that why he couldn't fully shake the bitterness he felt, why he couldn't just tell Mr. Beckett that it was alright? What about what he'd told Zane? It wasn't a lie, he truly did feel like it wasn't his fault, that he wouldn't even be here if not for him, but… that didn't exactly mean he saw his new limbs as anything more than prosthetics he needed to replace his missing ones.

Had he really been fighting himself this whole time?

' _Think about what I've said.'_ Lord Garmadon quickly turned and left, his departure followed closely by Kai bursting out onto the deck and worriedly asking the blue ninja if he was alright.

He reassured the red ninja that he was fine, although Kai had demanded to know what the evil lord had said to him, Jay just said he had made a few remarks on his fighting abilities, which had the fire ninja fuming and going off on some tangent that Jay tuned out before he stormed away, probably to go stalk their guest some more.

* * *

So that was it, the three things that had left him speechless within the last seventy four hours. He spent the last two hours thinking it over, going over the events in his mind, but nothing went against the revelation that the evil lord had helped him reach.

He hadn't accepted what happened, not fully, and it was now a roadblock that was keeping him from rejoining his friends.

But what could he do about it? It wasn't like he could just spin around and magically be alright with what happened. At the same time, though, isn't that what he'd been working so hard to do? It was slow going, sure, but he was making progress…

With a huff he pushed off the railing of the ship and began to pace. This wasn't helping him at all. He wasn't making any progress, and going over the facts just left him right back where he started. He was only getting more and more frustrated at this point.

"Alright." He sighed to himself. "What am I missing?" If he could just think about this like he did his creations, then a solution wouldn't be that hard to find, right?

First there was the structure, the bones that made up the support of the machine. In this case that would be the accident that caused him to lose two and a half limbs and an eye. Then there was the mechanisms that would make up the moving parts. That would probably be… the prosthetics, he supposed. After that was the wiring that would power it all. That would be Zane, as the nindroid had helped keep him going even when he thought everything was over. And, finally, there was the casing, which kept it all together and safe from the outside… but he wasn't quite sure if that would be applicable. Perhaps the team was the casing? Yes, that sounded about right.

"What else, what else…" He was forgetting something, he was certain. "The programming, maybe?" not every machine needed to be programmed, most didn't unless there was some kind of computer involved, but it would make sense in this case, as they were probably a very advanced machine, right?

So if the programming dictates what the machine does, then what would that be?

"Jay?" Zane called out, breaking the blue ninja from his thoughts with a start.

"Oh, hey, Zane, man, I didn't hear you coming up! Not that that's surprising, I mean, you _are_ a ninja..." The blond watches without comment as Jay hurriedly shuffles all his papers together and shoves them into a random file. Jay can only hope that the nindroid didn't manage to catch what was written on any of them. "So, uh, did you need something or…?"

"I just thought you would like to know that we're stopping at a nearby town so we can restock on supplies."

"Thanks for the heads up."

"You are welcome."

"…So, uh, you know what? I think I'm going to go for a walk, try and clear my head." Jay said nervously after a beat of awkward silence, quickly heading out before the nindroid could answer.

He thought he saw a hurt look cross the other's face for the briefest of moments, but it was so quick and he couldn't be sure it wasn't anything more than just a trick of the eye. That didn't stop the stab of guilt it gave him, though, and he mentally promised that he'd make it up to the other after he figured this all out.

Once his feet hit the pavement he found himself slowly going faster and faster, until his breathing came out in pants and he could hear the whirring of his heart clear in his ears, and he let those sounds drown out all his other thoughts.

* * *

Zane sighed once the blue ninja had disappeared out the door. Ever since he'd admitted his fault, his part in what had happened, the ninja of lightning had been avoiding him, acting stiffly, pulling away from all physical contact or just avoiding it altogether, and as much as he wanted to believe what he'd said before his actions spoke much louder than his words. Jay blamed him for what happened, maybe even considered the entire thing his fault.

He couldn't say that wasn't true, that he didn't feel the same, but it hurt more than he expected it to. Every time it was like being stabbed where his heart would have been, had he been human. It was illogical, emotions shouldn't cause him physical discomfort, and he made sure to remind himself of this every time it happened.

When he'd come in here he'd had every intention of asking the brunet if he was really ok with what happened, to ask why the other was avoiding him, but he'd chickened out, acted like everything was ok just like he usually did…

Once again he sighed, not surprised when he noticed the white puff of his breath. Controlling his powers had been much harder now than ever before, ever since he'd unlocked his true potential it was like a floodgate had been opened, and he was struggling to close it once more. He'd already frozen his friends by accident, and twice now he'd caused the room's temperature to drop.

The memory of the blue ninja shivering in his arms gave him mixed feelings, and inevitably brought him back full circle, to the fact that he'd somehow said or done something that night that had caused Jay to pull away from him.

Quickly doing his best to get ahold of his emotions, he went out to the kitchen, where Cole was writing up a list with the help of Kai and Nya.

"Hey Zane." Cole greeted, glancing up from whatever it was he was writing. "Come to help?"

"Hello." He returned the greeting, then did his best to give their leader what he thought was an apologetic smile. "Actually, I was hoping to stay here today. Do you mind?"

"Great!" Kai exclaimed before the black ninja could answer. "You can make sure that Garmadon doesn't try anything funny while we're gone."

He noticed Cole roll his eyes behind the red ninja's back. Kai's sudden obsession was quickly turning out to be quite the nuisance, it seems.

"Fine, you can stay behind." The ninja of earth conceded with a huff. Perhaps Kai had been trying to get out of going so that he could continue to keep an eye on Lord Garmadon and Cole was just happy to find a way to keep him from being a nuisance. "Has anyone told Jay-?"

"I did." He spoke a fraction too soon, almost cutting the dark haired ninja off. "He decided to go for a walk."

"Alone?" Kai asked with a troubled expression.

"I can have Falk keep an eye on him." Zane offered, trying to head off what would no doubt be another round of the fire ninja's paranoid speculations about what Lord Garmadon could get up to.

"Falk? Do you mean your falcon?" Nya asked curiously.

"Yes, I-"

"Uh, no offence, Zane, but what use is your falcon gonna be if Lord Garmadon attacks Jay?" Kai scoffs.

"I can see what Falk sees. If there is any trouble, I'll know." He did his best to keep his face neutral, to keep his voice level and his powers under control. It wasn't hard, anger was the easiest emotion to control, after all. "And besides, I am sure that Jay will be able to hold his own until we arrive to help."

"Zane's right." The black ninja interrupts, his tone implying that the discussion was over. "Now let's get going, these groceries aren't going to buy themselves." There was some grumbling from the fire ninja, but he didn't say anything else, just followed their leader out the door.

Zane, true to his word, sent his falcon out to go keep an eye on the ninja of lightning and then went to go meditate up in the crow's nest.

The cooler air that came with the added height of the crow's nest wasn't anywhere near the freezing point, but Zane found that it still helped to remind him of his home, of the snowy forest he used to live in and the little village that had taken him in when he'd had no idea who he was, and it helped to sooth his nerves.

Breathe in… breathe out… breathe in… breathe out… keep your breathing even, steady, and let your mind clear of all thoughts.

A loud rumble broke the white ninja's concentration, and he looked up at the sky in confusion. There wasn't supposed to be rain today… and the sky was clear, scarcely a cloud in sight. So why had he heard thunder? Or _was_ it thunder? Perhaps there had been an explosion of some kind. He went to the side, looking for any pillars of smoke. If there was an explosion then it was doubtless that there would be one, and that would save him the trouble of trying to figure out where to go.

He was surprised by the sight of what looked like lightning streaking across the sky… horizontally.

Scarcely seconds later, Falk sent him an update; the bird had lost track of Jay. While Zane was sure that Jay was the fastest one of their group, he didn't think that even Jay would be able to outrun a falcon… So then that left only one explanation.

The lightning streaking across the sky had to be Jay… He must have figured out his true potential.

"I knew you could do it." He says aloud, a smile lighting up his face as the worry melts away.

The lightning first loops around above the city a few times, then streaks up and pauses, the trail turning into a single glowing dot, and then with another thunderous boom there's suddenly Jay floating before him, glowing electric blue and crackling with energy.

"Zane!" The brunet calls excitedly, and the white ninja can't help but notice the slight sound of static lacing his voice as he speaks. "Zane, guess what!" The blue fades and he stumbles onto the deck, and the white ninja steps forward to help steady him, ignoring the tingling of electricity over his skin.

"You found your true potential?"

" _Yes_!" Jay positively beamed up at him. "I was just running and-, I don't know, I guess it just _clicked_ and the next thing I know I'm flying! I think I might've scared a few dozen people, too, but it was just so exhilarating!" Finally he seemed to be calming down. "It really felt like I was one with my element…"

"It sounds like you enjoyed yourself." He said with a low chuckle.

"Yeah… was it like this for you too?"

"I… did not get much time to think about it." Zane replied with a frown.

"Oh…" Jay bit his lip, looked down a bit and stiffened before taking half a step back. "Yeah, I guess you wouldn't've."

"About that…" Zane sighed, frown deepening at the other's sudden awkwardness. "Are you certain that you do not blame me for what happened?"

"What?" Jay gave him a confused look. "Of _course_ I don't blame you. I thought I made that clear the other day." The surety with which the ninja of lightning spoke was convincing, like he truly believed what he was saying without even a shadow of a doubt.

Zane wanted to believe him, he really did, but what other reason could be causing the other to pull away from him like he was? No matter how the nindroid thought about it, he just couldn't figure it out.

"Have I said or done something to upset you, then?"

"No." Jay easily denies, shaking his head slowly. "You haven't done anything, Zane."

"Then why are you avoiding me?" He asks point blank, ignoring every part of him that's screaming for him to stop. "I must have done or said something, but I have no idea what, and if I don't know then how am I supposed to make things right?"

"Zane…" Jay's face shows guilt and something else. "You haven't done anything wrong. It's-, I just-" The blue ninja takes a deep breath, squares his shoulders and meets his gaze. "I like you."

"I like you too… That's why we're friends." He says, thrown by the sudden subject change.

"No, that's not what I meant." Jay says with a pinched expression. "I meant that I lo-, that I like you more than _just_ a friend…"

"More than a friend?" Zane parrots, trying to decipher the meaning. "…you mean like a best friend?" Was Jay just worried that the others would feel bad if he chose the nindroid as his best friend over them? Maybe Kai would make a remark or two about it, maybe Cole would make a joke, but he doubted it would be that big of an issue.

" _No_! That's not it either." Jay was obviously getting frustrated. "It isn't friendship, Zane."

"I… do not understand." Zane admitted with a small shake of the head. "Do you not consider me a friend?"

"I do! Believe me, I _do_ …" He bites his lip once more, looking nervous. "What I meant was _this_." Swiftly he took a step forward, grabbed a hold of the white ninja's collar and-

And suddenly Zane was absolutely certain that he sent an electrical shock straight to his brain, scrambling all of his thoughts.

 _Fin_


	22. Chapter 22

Chapter twenty two

"Oh…" Zane says, both his face and tone void of emotion.

Jay takes a step back, his courage having finally run out, leaving only his panicking thoughts in its place. If he had just kept his mouth shut then maybe he could have waited it out, ignored those feelings until they went away and they could keep being friends as they always had been…

"Yeah, I- Its fine. I just need some time and a bit of space, and- and this won't be an issue." He starts to babble, backing away and trying to keep the nervous laughter from bubbling up his throat. "We'll still be friends, I promise." _God_ he hoped Zane still wanted to be friends after this. "I should-, I'll just go."

Quickly he turns to head inside the ship, but a hand on his arm stops him before he can take the first step.

"Wait." Zane says gently, moving to stand in front of the other, although Jay can't bring himself to meet his eyes. "You just surprised me. I did not expect you to feel like that about me."

"Like I said, it won't be a problem." He tries to pull his arm from the other's grip, but the white ninja doesn't let go.

"Jay, look at me." There's a beat of silence, Jay holds his breath, summons up all of the courage he had left and did as the nindroid said. And just like that he's left breathless, staring into two ice blue pools. He's dropped his guard again, his emotions playing out so clearly in his eyes that he had no doubts about the other's thoughts. "I'm not sure why you would like me; I'm not human, and I'm not sure if what I feel is the same, but… I think I like you, too."

"Are you sure?" He has to ask, even when he can't see even a shadow of a doubt in the other's eyes.

"I am certain." And with that declaration the nindroid leans in and just as their lips are about to meet he hesitates. "Are you sure?" He echoes his question back at him.

"Positive." He answers, leaning in that final inch, and just like before he feels shivers go down his spine.

He isn't sure how long they're like that, time feels meaningless in that instance, it's only when someone clears their throat that they break apart and the spell is broken. They turn to see Kai, Cole, and Nya standing there, arms full of groceries.

"Are we interrupting something?" Cole asks, an eyebrow raised.

"Yes." Zane tells him bluntly, and Jay thinks his face is probably bright red right about now.

"Too bad, you two get to put the groceries away since you chose to stay behind."

"Alone?" He thinks he hears Kai choking, but he's hidden his face in the nindroid's shoulder and doesn't feel like looking up to check.

"I'm sure Garmadon wouldn't mind helping."

"That will not be necessary. I'm sure we will do just fine on our own." He can hear Nya giggling, and can only imagine the look on their leader's face.

"I hate you _so much_ right now." He moans into the blonde's shoulder. The nindroid only chuckles lowly in response, and even though Jay thinks he's doing this on purpose he can't help but smile. "Come on, the groceries won't put themselves away." He pulls away and grabs the white ninja's hand, interlacing their fingers, and starts dragging him towards the kitchen.

They're followed by the rest of the group, and as they talk, joke, and put the groceries away, he can't help but think that things couldn't be better.

 _The end_

* * *

 _Author's note: So that's it, the final chapter. Sorry it took so long to post, especially considering how short this chapter is, so I hope it doesn't disappoint. Thanks to everyone who followed, favorited, and reviewed, both as the story was being posting and after! I wasn't sure how it was going to be received, so it was really encouraging to get so much positive feedback. I'd also like to thank my sister, who was basically the reason this story even exists. She introduced me to Ninjago and was the one who came up with the idea of having Jay lose his limbs, although I came up with the how. She helped me with little plot details and a few big plot details (Like the pairing, which I actually hadn't decided on when I first started writing this story), and she also put up with my writer's block. As this is the first multi-chapter fic I've ever completed (though not for a lack of trying) I waited until it I had finished before posting, so for you all it was a much shorter wait then it was for her. lol I could probably fill a whole chapter in and of itself going on about writing this, stuff that I likely would've put at the end of each chapter had I not been so excited to post each one that I forgot, but I'll end it here with one last thanks._

 _```/)/)_

 _e( 0w0)_


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